Development and validation of a shortened and practical frailty index for people with intellectual disabilities.
J D Schoufour, A Oppewal, M C van Maurik and 3 others
PMID 34939710WHAT IT FOUND
A 17-item frailty index for adults with intellectual disabilities closely matched the original 51-item tool and predicted survival.
It is practical for clinical screening, though it is less precise than the full version.
Key findings
01The 17-item short form explained 89% of the variance in the original ID-Frailty Index score in the validation set.
02The short form was predictive for survival, with a hazard ratio of 1.07 for every 1/100-point increase.
03Agreement between the short and long forms in classifying frailty categories was good, with a kappa statistic of 0.63.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The tool was developed and validated only in a Dutch population of adults aged 50 and over with intellectual disabilities; it has not been tested in other countries or in younger adults with ID, who may also experience frailty. The short form uses single questions derived from larger validated questionnaires, but the reliability of these single items (test-retest and inter-rater) is currently unknown. It is not yet known if the short form can detect changes in frailty status over time (responsiveness). The short form is less precise than the original 51-item index, as shown by its wider score range and slightly lower hazard ratio for survival.
Declared interests
No external funding was received. The authors declared no financial, personal, or potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the 17-item short form is as precise as the original 51-item index. The study found the full version had stronger reliability and a higher correlation with survival, so the short form is best used for practical screening rather than detailed prognostic assessment.