Assessment tools for frailty in elderly adults: A scoping review

As global population aging intensifies, health issues among the elderly are receiving increasing attention. Frailty, a syndrome characterized by age-related decline across multiple systems, has become a central concern in geriatric medicine. Early screening and assessment of frailty are crucial, yet practitioners lack a systematic and comprehensive understanding of assessment tools due to constraints imposed by cultural contexts, healthcare resources, and population characteristics.

A scoping review was conducted following the 5-stage methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. A systematic search was performed using a combination of subject terms and free terms across 4 databases: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science Core Collection. The search period covered from the establishment of each database to June 27, 2024, with gray literature excluded. Two authors independently screened the literature based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and discrepancies were resolved by team consensus. Data from included studies were extracted into tables, and results were collated through descriptive overview and thematic synthesis. The review report adhered to the standards outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Scrutiny Reviews guidelines. The study protocol was officially filed with the Open Science Framework.

A total of 18,141 documents were retrieved, and 27 studies involving 14 types of frailty assessment tools were ultimately included. Analysis revealed a wide variety of assessment tools currently available, with significant differences in the design of assessment dimensions and usage scenarios between tools. The Fried Frailty Phenotype and Tilburg Frailty Indicator are 2 commonly used assessment tools. The selection of accurate and effective frailty screening tools by assessors is crucial for improving the identification of frail individuals and facilitating intervention.

When selecting frailty assessment tools for elderly adults, it is essential to comprehensively consider factors such as the demographic characteristics of the target population, the resources available within the clinical setting, and the performance of the tools themselves. Currently, there remains a lack of globally standardized criteria for frailty assessment. Future research should focus on integrating existing evidence to develop multidimensional assessment tools tailored to diverse elderly adult populations, thereby enabling dynamic evaluation.