Take the EFS Training Course to learn how to administer & score the EFS, and to receive your EFS course certificate.

 
 
 

The Edmonton Frail Scale-Acute Care (EFS-AC)

When a person is acutely unwell, their performance on a test can be below their own normal (or “baseline”). Frailty is a baseline state rather than an acute state. Therefore, items in a test of frailty that rely on performance may be less useful in the context of acute care. Likewise, performance-based test items are difficult to administer in virtual settings such as a telephone interview or even a videoconference. The Bedside version of the EFS includes two items that are based on performance in the domains of cognition (the Clock Drawing Test) and functional performance (the Timed Up and Go). Fortunately, extensive validation work has already been completed on both items. In 2009, Hilmer et al developed and validated a replacement item for functional performance (1). This revised version became known as the “Reported Edmonton Frail Scale” (REFS). Then in 2018, Rose et al developed and validated a replacement item for cognition (2). This second revised version was named the Modified Edmonton Frail Scale (Mod-REFS). Both of these measures remain freely and publicly available.

The Edmonton Frail Scale-Acute Care (EFS-AC) uses very similar replacement items for cognition and functional performance. Like the REFS and the Mod-REFS, the EFS-AC adds to the EFS by emphasizing the baseline frailty status rather than the current frailty status in acute care settings. The EFS-AC has not been validated in relation to the EFS, the REFS, the EFS-AC or other frailty measures.

Pending that validation work, the EFS-AC is also available under our licensing procedures.

References

  1. Hilmer SN, Perera V, Mitchell S, Murnion BP, Dent J, Bjoreck B, Matthews S, Rolfson DB, The assessment of frailty in older people in acute care. Australas J Ageing. 2009 Dec;28(4):182-8.

  2. Rose M, Yang A, Welz M, Masik A, Staples, M. Novel modification of the Reported Edmonton Frail Scale. Australa J Ageing 2018Dec;37(4):305-308. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12533