The Oral Symptom Assessment Scale in Older Patients With Frailty

Oral Symptoms in Older Patients With Frailty: a Prospective Observational Study Using the Oral Symptom Assessment Scale

Oral (or mouth) symptoms are common in older patients who live with frailty. It is known that frailty describes someone's overall resilience and how this relates to the chances of recovery following a health problem. A questionnaire called the Oral Symptom Assessment Scale (or OSAS) was designed to look at mouth symptoms in patients who had an advanced cancer. These symptoms may overlap with patients who have frailty.

This research study is taking place to find out if the OSAS will be a suitable questionnaire that can be used in older patients with frailty.

This study will take place in Our Lady's Hospice & Care Services, Harold's Cross and St James' Hospital over six months.

Participants will be asked by one of our researchers about the presence or absence of 21 mouth symptoms in the last week. If present, the participant will be asked about how bothersome each symptom is as well as the severity and frequency. Up to three additional mouth symptoms that are not listed in the OSAS can be reported and rated in the same way by the participant. Participants will be asked about the questionnaire itself to provide feedback. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete both.

Inclusion Criteria

• Age ≥ 65 years old
• Clinical Frailty Score ≥ 5
• No known history of dementia
• The attending clinician should have no concerns about a participant's capacity to consent for this research

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to provide informed consent
• Inability to complete the questionnaire
• Abbreviated Mental Test Score -4 (AMT4) <4