[The assessment of functional status in hospitalized elderly patients: the Plutchik scale]

To study the usefulness of the Plutchik Scale to measure functional capacity in daily activities of hospitalized elderly patients.

A sample of 300 patients stratified by age and sex (111 male and 189 female), mean age 81 years, hospitalized in the Geriatric Unit, was selected from all the patients admitted to our Unit along the year 1994 (n = 974, mean length of stay in acute beds 15 days, in convalescent beds 57 days, total 19 days). Scores of patients in the Plutchik Scale, Katz Activities of Daily Living and Barthel ADL Index were obtained. Ninety seven of the subjects were rated by two independent observers.

The kappa statistic of interrater reliability in Plutchik Scale scoring was high (0.807). There was a good correlation between the three instruments at cut-points for autonomy/dependence: 0.824 for cut-points 4/5 in Plutchik Scale and 2/3 in Katz Activities of Daily Living; 0.846 for cutpoints 4/5 in Plutchik Scale and 55/60 in Barthel ADL Index (p < 0.01). The coefficient alpha (Cronbach) in Plutchik Scale was 0.876 and the standardized alpha 0.868, which reflect that the Plutchik Scale is internally consistent. By factor analysis one factor was obtained explaining 58% of the variance. The factor showed the highest correlation with "washing/dressing" (0.861) and lowest with "vision" (0.349).

The Plutchik Scale is a good instrument for measuring functional capacity in hospitalized elderly patients.