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Printed on 4/21/2026
For informational purposes only. This is not medical advice.
The FRAIL scale is a rapid screening instrument that scores five domains: Fatigue, Resistance (stair climbing), Ambulation (walking ability), Illnesses (comorbidity burden), and Loss of weight. Total score ranges from 0 to 5 and stratifies patients as robust, pre-frail, or frail. It is commonly used in outpatient geriatrics, primary care, and perioperative assessment to identify vulnerability and trigger preventive interventions.
Formula: FRAIL score = sum of 5 yes/no domains, each scored 0 or 1; total range 0-5.
Higher FRAIL scores indicate greater physiologic vulnerability and higher risk of falls, hospitalization, disability, and mortality.
Use in older or medically complex adults during annual wellness visits, preoperative assessment, chronic disease follow-up, and post-hospitalization re-evaluation.
FRAIL is intentionally brief and may miss nuanced contributors to frailty. It should be complemented by full functional, nutritional, cognitive, and social assessment when abnormal.
For related assessments, see Clinical Frailty Scale, SARC-F and Katz ADL.
Disclaimer: This tool is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with questions about your health.
Assess frailty using the Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS 1–9): Very Fit to Terminally Ill. Used for ICU triage, surgical risk stratification, and goals-of-care discussions in elderly patients.
GeriatricsScreen for probable sarcopenia risk using SARC-F (0-10) across strength, walking, chair rise, stair climbing, and falls.
GeriatricsAssess independence in six basic activities of daily living with the Katz ADL Index. Scores range from 0 (dependent) to 6 (fully independent).
GeriatricsAssess mobility and fall risk with the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. TUG >12 seconds indicates high fall risk. Times the performance of standing, walking 3 meters, turning, and returning to seated.