Validation of a new frailty scale in primary care: The simplified Zulfiqar frailty scale

Abstract

Purpose: Evaluate the ability of the “simplified Zulfiqar frailty scale” (sZFS) tool to detect frailty as defined by Fried's criteria among a group of patients aged 65 and older. Methods: Prospective study conducted in Champagne-Ardennes (France) for 12 months on patients aged 65 and over and considered autonomous in terms of the ADL scale. To be eligible, the patients could not reside in a nursing home and needed an ADL score of 4 or higher. Results: With this tool, the threshold for identifying frailty was≥1 out of 5 criteria. It was quick (average completion time of 110 s) with a sensitivity score of 91.1% and a negative predictive value of 97.1%. Conclusion: The “simplified Zulfiqar frailty scale” tool measures frailty just as effectively as Fried's criteria, with sensitivity and negative predictive values no lower than the latter.

Keywords

• Frailty syndrome
• Primary care
• Fried's scale
• The simplified Zulfiqar frailty scale (sZFS)