Comprehensive Functional Assessment for Elderly Patients
Authors: Health and Public Policy Committee
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1988)

Position Paper1 July 1988Comprehensive Functional Assessment for Elderly PatientsHealth and Public Policy CommitteeHealth and Public Policy CommitteeSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-109-1-70 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe American College of Physicians believes that maintenance of patients' functional well-being is a fundamental goal of medical practice. Assessment of the impact of illness on physical, mental, and psychosocial functioning is an essential element of clinical diagnosis, a major determinant of therapeutic choices, a measure of their efficacy, and a guide in the planning of long-term care for the dependent elderly.Although most elderly noninstitutionalized adults are functionally competent, the percentage who need help doing everyday activities doubles with each successive decade up to age 84, and triples between ages 85 and 94 (1). Although physicians may identify these...References1. Feller B. Americans Needing Help to Function at Home. National Center for Health Statistics Advancedata No. 92, Hyattsville, Maryland; 1983. Google Scholar2. Rubenstein L. The clinical effectiveness of multidimensional geriatric assessment. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1983;31:758-62. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Katz S. Assessing self-maintenance: activities of daily living, mobility, and instrumental activities of daily living. 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Geriatric rehabilitation unit—a 3-year outcome evaluation. J Gerontol. 1986;41:44-50. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. BergnerBobbittPollardMartinGilson MRWDB. The sickness impact profile: validation of a health status measure. Med Care. 1976;14:57-67. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. BrookRogersWilliams RWK. Conceptualization and Measurement of Health for Adults in the Health Insurance Study: Volume III: Mental Health. Santa Monica, California: The Rand Corporation; 1979. Google Scholar13. StewartWareBrook AJR. Construction and Scoring of Aggregate Functional Status Measures. Volume I. Santa Monica, California: The Rand Corporation; 1982. Google Scholar14. Fillenbaum G. Screening the elderly: a brief instrumental activities of daily living measure. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1985;33:698-706. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar15. JetteDaviesCleary AAP. The Functional Status Questionnaire: reliability and validity when used in primary care. J Gen Intern Med. 1986;1:143-9. 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The index of ADL: a standardized measure of biological and social function. JAMA. 1963;185:914-9. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar23. Pfeiffer E. A short portable mental status questionnaire for the assessment of organic brain deficit in elderly patients. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1975;23:433-41. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar24. FolsteinFolsteinMcHugh MSP. "Mini-Mental State": a practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatric Res. 1975;12:189-98. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar25. RovnerFolstein BM. Mini-mental state exam in clinical practice. Hosp Pract. 1987;22:99-110. Google Scholar26. NorrisGallagherWilsonWinograd JDAC. Assessment of depression in geriatric medical outpatients: the validity of two screening measures. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1987;35:989-95. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar27. MoloneyRogers TD. Medical technology—a different view of the contentious debate over costs. N Engl J Med. 1979;301:1413-9. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: American College of Physicians*This paper was authored by Thomas P. Almy, MD, MACP, and was developed for the Health and Public Policy Committee by the Subcommittee on Aging: Michael A. Nevins, MD, FACP, Chairman; John C. Beck, MD, MACP; William A. Godfrey, Jr., MD, FACP; David H. Law, MD; Joanne Lynn, MD. Members of the Health and Public Policy Committee were: Richard G. Farmer, MD, FACP, Chairman; John M. Eisenberg, MD, FACP; Donald L. Feinstein, MD, FACP; Paul F. Griner, MD, FACP; Joseph E. Johnson III, MD, FACP; Charles E. Lewis, MD, FACP; Malcolm L. Peterson, MD, FACP; C. S. Lewis, Jr., MD, MACP; Steven A. Schroeder, MD, FACP; Quentin D. Young, MD, FACP. This paper was approved by the Board of Regents on 15 January, 1988. 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Brook, MD, ScDRational Home Care Based on The Disability ModelClinical Approach to the Older Patient: An Overview 1 July 1988Volume 109, Issue 1Page: 70-72KeywordsAgingElderlyLong-term careMental functioningPrevention, policy, and public healthPublic policy ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 July 1988 Copyright & Permissions© 1988 American College of PhysiciansPDF downloadLoading ...