A comparison of two methods for identifying frail Medicare-aged persons.

This article compares the efficacy of two screening methods to identify frail Medicare-aged persons using self-report questionnaire data: a clinical judgment method developed by nurse and social worker professionals in a community-based long-term care department and an empirical research method previously developed by the Center for Health Research using computer formulas and stepwise logistic regression coefficients. A sub-aim was to see whether the empirical method proved robust over time by measuring aggregate utilization and mortality in frail and nonfrail cohorts, which would increase the interest of physicians, managed care organizations, and other agencies providing service to Medicare beneficiaries.