Table 1.
Frailty assessment tools
| Tool | Criteria | Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Fried’s phenotype. [24] | 5-point scale: weight loss, exhaustion, weakness assessed by grip strength, reduced physical activity and slowness measured by gait speed | Identifies robust (score 0), pre-frail (score 1–2) and frail (score > 3) individuals but requires two practical measurements |
| SHARE Frailty Instrument. [25] | Five dimensions: loss of appetite, walking difficulty, exhaustion, weakness measured by grip strength and low physical activity | Proposed for the primary health care setting and accessible via web calculators |
| FRAIL scale. [26] | 5-point scale: fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illness and loss of weight | Can be self-assessed and does not require measurements by healthcare professionals |
| Clinical frailty scale. [27] | 9-point scale that describes patient’ functional characteristics and categorise them from very fit to severely frail | Uses clinical descriptors and pictographs to stratify older people according to level of function to predict mortality or institutionalisation |
| Frailty Trait Scale. [28] | Evaluates three dimensions of nutrition, physical activity and nervous system | Can predict hospitalisation and mortality |
| Edmonton Frail Scale. [29] | Nine domains: cognition, physical function, general health, independence, social support, pharmacological condition, nutrition, mental condition and continence | Can be completed by people without special training in geriatric medicine |
| Gérontopôle Frailty Screening Tool. [30] | Six questions assessing the individual’s social, physical, functional and cognitive situation | An initial screening tool in primary care to increases awareness of underlying frailty |
| Electronic Frailty Index. [31] | Uses the cumulative deficit model to identify and score frailty based on routine interactions of patients with their general practitioner | Can be used to screen for the whole practice population who are > 65 years old |
| 35-Items Rockwood frailty index. [32] | 35 items, based on data from chronic diseases, disabilities in activities of daily living, cognition, nutrition, visual and hearing impairment | Includes comprehensive data as a part of comprehensive geriatric assessment |
| PRISMA Questionnaire. [33] | 7-item questionnaire to identify frailty, a score of > 3 identifies frailty | Is suitable for postal completion |