A Proposal for the Retrospective Identification and Categorization of Older People With Functional Impairments in Scientific Studies—Recommendations of the Medication and Quality of Life in Frail Older Persons (MedQoL) Research Group

When treating older adults, a main factor to consider is physical frailty. Because specific assessments in clinical trials are frequently lacking, critical appraisal of treatment evidence with respect to functional status is challenging. Our aim was to identify and categorize assessments for functional status given in clinical trials in older adults to allow for a retrospective characterization and indirect comparison of treatment evidence from these cohorts. We conducted 4 separate systematic reviews of randomized and nonrandomized controlled clinical trials in older people with hypertension, diabetes, depression, and dementia.