Frailty Assessment Scale for Heart Failure: Development and Psychometric Validation

Frailty is common in patients with heart failure. Specific scales, including the Clinical Frailty Scale, exist but have not undergone thorough psychometric validation among patients with heart failure.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Frailty Assessment Scale for Heart Failure (FAS-HF) in patients with heart failure.

This study included 3 phases. In phase I, conceptualization and item generation, the FAS-HF was initially developed through the analysis of qualitative research data and a literature review. In phase II, item selection and content validity, the Delphi method was used to gather experts' opinions and suggestions regarding the FAS-HF. In phase III, field testing and psychometric evaluation, a cross-sectional study of 184 patients with heart failure in northern Taiwan was conducted to test the reliability and validity of the FAS-HF.

The 15-item FAS-HF included the physical, psychological, and social frailty domains. The total score ranged from 0 to 45, with higher scores representing frailer individuals. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the cumulative loading variance was 57.39%. In the confirmatory factor analysis, the goodness-of-fit index (0.91), adjusted goodness-of-fit index (0.87), and root mean square error of approximation (0.06) were acceptable for model fit. Acceptable reliability was found, with a Cronbach α coefficient of 0.87 and a test-retest reliability of 0.99. Compared with the Fried frailty phenotype, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.94, and the optimal cutoff score for frailty was 20.

The FAS-HF has good reliability, validity, and discrimination and can be used as a frailty indicator for patients with heart failure.