Validation of the Pictorial Fit-Frail Scale in a Thoracic Surgery clinic

• Published in: Annals of surgery Vol. 277; no. 5; pp. e1150 - e1156
• Main Authors: Cooper, Lisa, Deeb, Ashley, Dezube, Aaron R., Mazzola, Emanuele, Dumontier, Clark, Bader, Angela M., Theou, Olga, Jaklitsch, Michael T., Frain, Laura N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved 01-05-2023
• Subjects: Aged; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Female; Frail Elderly; Frailty - diagnosis; Geriatric Assessment - methods; Humans; Male; Thoracic Surgery; Thoracic Surgical Procedures
• ISSN: 0003-4932; 1528-1140; 1528-1140
• DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005381

Examine feasibility and construct validity of Pictorial Fit-Frail scale (PFFS) for the first time in older surgical patients.
The PFFS uses visual images to measure health state in 14 domains and has been previously validated in outpatient geriatric clinics.
Patients ≥65 year-old who were evaluated in a multidisciplinary thoracic surgery clinic from November 2020 to May 2021 were prospectively included. Patients completed an in-person PFFS and Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13) during their visit, and a frailty index was calculated from the PFFS (PFFStrans). A geriatrician performed a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) either in-person or virtually, from which a Frailty Index (FI-CGA) and Frailty Questionnaire (FRAIL) scale were obtained. To assess the validity of the PFFS in this population, the Spearman rank correlations (r spearman ) between PFFS trans and VES-13, FI-CGA, FRAIL were calculated.
All 49 patients invited to participate agreed, of which 46/49 (94%) completed the PFFS so a score could be calculated. The majority of patients (59%) underwent an in-person CGA and the reminder (41%) a virtual CGA. The cohort was mainly female (59.0%), with a median age of 77 (range: 67-90). The median PFFS trans was 0.27 (interquartile range [IQR] 0.12-0.34), PFFS was 11 (IQR 5-14), and 0.24 (IQR 0.13-0.32) for FI-CGA. We observed a strong correlation between the PFFS trans and FI-CGA (r spearman = 0.81, P < 0.001) and a moderate correlation between PFFS trans and VES-13 and FRAIL score (r spearman = 0.68 and 0.64 respectively, P < 0.001).
PFFS had good feasibility and construct validity among older surgical patients when compared to previously validated frailty measurements.