Korean J Intern Med.  2021 Sep;36(5):1242-1250. 10.3904/kjim.2020.652.

Validity of the Clinical Frailty Scale in Korean older patients at a geriatric clinic

• Jung HW
• Jang IY
• Back JY
• Park S
• Park CM
• Han SJ
• Lee E

• KMID: 2519800
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2020.652

Abstract

Background/Aims
We aimed to assess the validity of the Korean translated version of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) in determining the frailty status in geriatric outpatients.
Methods
The records of 123 ambulatory outpatients who had undergone CFS and comprehensive geriatric assessments (CGAs) including measurements for the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) frailty scale and the frailty index (CGA-FI) were analyzed. Correlations between CFS, CHS frailty scale, and CGA-FI were assessed. The ability of CFS to classify frailty status was calculated using the CHS frailty scale and CGA-FI as references.
Results
The mean CFS score was 3.2 in the study population, with a mean age of 77.49 years (45.5% men). Individuals with higher CFS scores were older, had a greater burden of chronic diseases, and worse daily functions and cognitive performance. CFS scores positively correlated with CGA-FI (B = 0.78, p < 0.001) and CHS frailty scale (B = 0.67, p < 0.001) scores. For CFS, C-statistics to classify frailty by CGA-FI and CHS scale were 0.905 and 0.826, respectively. The cut-off value of CFS ≥ 4 maximized Youden’s J to classify frailty by both the CHS scale and CGAFI.
Conclusions
The CFS is a valid screening tool to assess the frailty status in outpatients of a geriatric clinic in Korea. As a simple and quick measure, the CFS may facilitate frailty assessments in real-world clinical practice.

Keyword

Diagnosis; Frailty; Aged; Quality improvement; Geriatric assessment