Efficient and rapid assessment of multiple aspects of frailty using the Kyoto Frailty Scale, developed from the Edmonton Frail Scale

Abstract

[Purpose] Global aging has led to a dramatic increase in the number of frail people, who are likely to become bedridden. Since frailty can be partially reversed, early intervention would be beneficial for patients, family members, and clinicians. This study was designed to develop a screening tool for an accurate and comprehensive assessment of frailty by modulating the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS). [Participants and Methods] The EFS, covering multiple domains, is one of the major diagnostic tools for frailty. Frail and non-frail participants (n=67) were evaluated for each diagnostic item of the EFS to identify the most efficient combination of questions by evaluating its sensitivity and specificity. [Results] The Kyoto Frailty Scale (KFS) was developed as a rapid frailty scale, based on the EFS. The KFS comprises nine questions about health status, polypharmacy, hospitalization, living with a reliable caregiver, shopping, transportation, housework, money management, and forgetting to take medicine. The KFS has an excellent negative predictive value (100%) for screening frailty and a positive predictive value (97%) for screening prefrailty and frailty if we regard KFS ≥4 as a test positive. [Conclusion] The KFS permits clinician to rapidly and accurately screen for frailty and prefrailty, or exclude frailty.