[Operationalization of the determination of the Barthel index using Barthel plus]

The Barthel Index is the most commonly used instrument for assessing basic self-care ability; however, it only records impairments first at the stage of needing personal support.

Based on the long version of the Hamburg Classification Manual (HEMB-L), the Barthel plus (Bplus) was developed in consultation with specialist nursing personnel as an operationalization that also depicts compensated impairments via point-neutral subscaling. The article presents the instrument and its quality characteristics.

For patients in acute geriatric care the Bplus was employed twice at an interval of more than 1 week and audio recordings were made. The Bplus was assessed by telephone 1, 12, 24 and 36 months after discharge. The effect size (Cohen's d) was calculated for the sensitivity to change during the inpatient course. The interrater reliability and agreement with the HEMB‑L were determined taking the evaluation of the audio files by blinded examiners into account.

Between 29 April 2019 and 25 June 2021 a total of 124 patients were included in the study. The Barthel Index scores obtained using the Bplus and HEMB‑L did not show a significant difference. The interrater reliability, internal consistency and change sensitivity of the Bplus were high, each at > 0.9. For activities performed independently but with impairment, there was an increased risk of care dependency occurring over the course of the study.

While maintaining the same sum score as the HEMB‑L, the Bplus can highlight abilities prone to a high risk for loss of independence and thus facilitate the prevention of progressive care dependency.