journal articles
SCREENING AND MANAGING FRAILTY IN OLDER NURSING HOME RESIDENTS WITH FRAIL-VIG INDEX: FEASIBILITY, RELIABILITY AND PREDICTIVE VALIDITY FOR MORTALITY
Cristina Jiménez-Domínguez, Lourdes Rexach-Cano, Carlos Verdejo-Bravo, Manuel Vicente Mejía-Ramírez-Arellano, Carlota Manuela Zárate-Saez, Mª Nieves Vaquero Pinto, Cristina Roldán-Plaza, Nuria Pérez-Panizo, Mª Loreto Álvarez-Nebreda
Frailty is prevalent among older nursing home residents, although there is limited evidence regarding frailty screening and management in this setting.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the measurement properties of the Frail Index based on the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (Frail-VIG).
DESIGN: Prospective observational longitudinal study of 571 residents from 3 nursing homes. Frail-VIG scores were calculated at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. Sociodemographic variables were studied. Feasibility was assessed based on simplicity of application and requirements for score calculation. Reliability was evaluated through inter-rater agreement and test-retest assessments. Construct and content validity were examined by comparing it with other frailty indexes. Predictive validity was evaluated using log-rank tests and AUC-ROC curves for mortality prediction.
RESULTS: Mean (SD) resident age was 88.2 (6.5) years, and 80.6 % were women. The mortality rate was 11.4 % at 6 months and 20 % at 12 months. Calculating Frail-VIG scores required 5.15 min and no additional space or equipment, and there was low risk of missing data. The inter-rater consistency and score stability over time indicate strong reliability. The Frail-VIG maintains the characteristics of other established frailty indexes and shows strong convergent validity with the FRAIL-NH and CFS scales. Baseline scores have an AUC-ROC curve (confidence interval) of 0.69 (95 % CI, 0.63–0.76) at 6 months and 0.65 (95 % CI, 0.6–0.71) at 12 months.
CONCLUSIONS: The measurement properties of the Frail-VIG in older nursing home residents validate its use in this population and setting. Its predictive ability for mortality suggests important implications for advanced care planning.
CITATION:
Cristina Jiménez-Domínguez ; Lourdes Rexach-Cano ; Carlos Verdejo-Bravo ; Manuel Vicente Mejía-Ramírez-Arellano ; Carlota Manuela Zárate-Saez ; Mª Nieves Vaquero Pinto ; Cristina Roldán-Plaza ; Nuria Pérez-Panizo ; Mª Loreto Álvarez-Nebreda (2026): Screening and managing frailty in older nursing home residents with Frail-VIG index: Feasibility, reliability and predictive validity for mortality. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjfa.2025.100130