🧓 Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)
UseSelect the descriptor that best matches the patient's baseline state (about two weeks before the acute illnes…
SourceRockwood K, et al. A global clinical measure of fitness and frailty in elderly people. CMAJ. 2005;1…
This-shift next steps
After scoring: open the scene pack, peer scores, and the matching pathway. Local reference — no HIS write.
Paste the link in Slack, Teams, X, or LinkedIn — the preview image comes from this page’s Open Graph card.
Methodology · worked example, guidelines & full notes
Grade the chronic baseline two weeks before presentation rather than the acute deterioration, otherwise an acutely unwell but previously robust patient is over-scored (original synthesis · not guideline verbatim).
When to use
Select the descriptor that best matches the patient's baseline state (about two weeks before the acute illness); the tool returns the grade and a frailty stratum.
How it works
Ordinal judgement, not a sum: 1 very fit → 9 terminally ill. Grades 1–3 not frail, 4 vulnerable/pre-frail, 5–6 mild–moderate frailty, 7–9 severe frailty.
Key points
- Grade the chronic baseline two weeks before presentation rather than the acute deterioration, otherwise an acutely unwell but previously robust patient is over-scored (original synthesis · not guideline verbatim).
- Higher CFS correlates with more postoperative complications, longer admission, and higher mortality, and supports shared benefit–risk discussion for surgery, ICU admission, or cancer therapy.
- It is a judgement aid, not a substitute for comprehensive geriatric assessment, and is less validated in younger adults or stable single-system disability.
References
Worked calculation
The values below come from this tool's own example placeholders and are computed server-side with the formula shown on this page, so the arithmetic can be checked quickly. It demonstrates how to substitute values only — it is not clinical advice and not a real case.
| Frailty level | 5 Mildly frail: needs help with higher-order tasks (finances/shopping/cooking/meds) |
|---|
→CFSGrade 5
- Stratum：Mild-moderate frailty
| Frailty level | 1 Very fit: robust, active, energetic, exercises regularly |
|---|
→CFSGrade 1
- Stratum：Not frail
Verification & sources · governance
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- What are the limits and cautions when using Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)?
- For licensed clinicians and clinical researchers. Interpret results with history, investigations and local protocols; not a diagnosis or prescription, and not a substitute for multidisciplinary decision-making or local guidelines.
- Does Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) upload patient data? Where is it calculated?
- Calculation runs locally in the browser; inputs and results are not uploaded. For licensed clinicians only; interpret with history, investigations and local protocols — not a diagnosis or prescription.
- How is Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) calculated in practice? Can you show a worked example?
- Inputs: Frailty level 5 Mildly frail: needs help with higher-order tasks (finances/shopping/cooking/meds) → Result: CFS Grade 5（Stratum: Mild-moderate frailty） Inputs: Frailty level 1 Very fit: robust, active, energetic, exercises regularly → Result: CFS Grade 1（Stratum: Not frail）