How many and which items of activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) are necessary for screening

• Published in: Critical reviews in oncology/hematology 2007-05, Vol.62 (2), p.164-171
• Main Authors: Roehrig, Bernd, Hoeffken, Klaus, Pientka, Ludger, Wedding, Ulrich
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Activities of daily living (ADL); Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; Elderly patients; Female; Frail Elderly - statistics & numerical data; Geriatric assessment; Geriatric Assessment - methods; Geriatric oncology; Health Status Indicators; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL); Male; Mass Screening - methods; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Selection of items; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1040-8428; 1879-0461
• DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2006.10.001

Abstract Geriatric assessment (GA) in elderly cancer patients serves as screening instrument to identify patients who are vulnerable or frail. To reduce the diagnostic burden for patients and caregivers, we asked how many and which items of ADL and IADL questionnaires are necessary to identify those patients with limitations in the sum score of ADL or IADL. Data of 327 elderly patients (age ≥ 60 years), of whom 27.9% had limitations in ADL and 36.0% in IADL score, were entered in a forward selection model. Four out of ten items of ADL identified 95.3% of patients with limitations in ADL. Two out of eight items of IADL identified 97.4% of patients with limitations in IADL. The combined use of these items recognised 98.5% of patients with limitations in ADL or IADL score. If ADL and IADL scores are used for screening, we recommend an abbreviated version with 6 instead of 18 items.