Development of a self-reported version of the G8 screening tool

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Oncology
• Clinical Assessment Tools

Background:

• The G8 is a validated frailty screening tool for cancer patients, typically completed by healthcare professionals.
• A patient-reported version could expand its application and accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a self-reported version of the G8 frailty screening tool.
• To evaluate the agreement between the self-reported G8 and the original G8 in older patients.

Main Methods:

• A self-reported G8 was developed with communication specialists.
• Patients aged ≥70 years with cancer or attending a geriatric clinic completed the self-reported G8.
• Agreement was assessed using Kappa statistics, comparing individual items and the frailty cut-off (≤14).

Main Results:

• 161 patients participated; 104 had cancer (65%).
• Completion rates were higher in cancer patients (94%) versus geriatric patients (72%).
• Substantial agreement for potential frailty was found in cancer patients (Kappa 0.63), but poor agreement in geriatric patients (Kappa 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The self-reported G8 is feasible and demonstrates sufficient agreement with the original G8 in older cancer patients.
• It is not sufficiently reliable for geriatric patients.
• The self-reported G8 may serve as a practical alternative for frailty screening in older adults with cancer.