Malena J. Spar

PLOS ONE, Aug 2023 Functional status, or the ability to perform activities of daily living, is central to older adults’ health and quality of life. However, health systems have been slow to incorporate routine measurement of function into patient care. We used multiple qualitative methods to develop a patient-centered, interprofessional intervention to improve measurement of functional status for older veterans in primary care settings.

Commentary Michael A. Steinman MD, Corresponding Author mike.steinman@ucsf.edu @mikesteinman orcid.org/0000-0002-9564-9480 @ Division of Geriatrics, University of California San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA Correspondence Michael A. Steinman, Division of Geriatrics, University of California San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center, 4150 Clement St, SFVAMC Box 181G, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA.

The ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), commonly called functional status, is central to older adults’ quality of life (QOL) and independence.1,2 Understanding functional status is key to improving outcomes for older adults.