Karnofsky Performance Scale

What is the Karnofsky Performance Scale?

The Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS), also known as the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale, is a tool developed in the 1940s by the oncologist David Karnofsky as a way to assess the impacts of cancer on the functional status and the patient's ability to complete daily activities. Since then, it has been used for anyone afflicted with medical conditions that may affect their capabilities and quality of life.

The scale operates by observing a patient's physical ability to complete certain tasks or activities, like light housework or office work, and using the rating key to assign scores to each activity. Practitioners then calculate the scores to form a total performance status score that reflects the patient's ability. The score may also be used as a way to determine how a patient's symptoms are impacting their quality of life and identify whether the patient requires further institutional or hospital care to support them.

For patients experiencing more detrimental outcomes due to their health, this instrument may provide information regarding the patient's life expectancy and prompt palliative care plans or end-of-life care plans that suit their personal needs. Implementing this instrument in palliative settings allows patients to maintain their independence for longer and provides them more time to make calculated decisions before functional impairment progresses.

This instrument is a widely used tool that assists healthcare practitioners in forming care plans, as well as a monitoring tool to see what aspects of the plan need adjustment. Beyond its clinical applications, the Karnofsky Performance Scale is particularly valuable in cancer research and clinical trials. It is widely used to assess cancer patients' functional status, determine eligibility for studies, and measure treatment outcomes. The scale's simplicity and effectiveness make it a standard tool in medical oncology and related fields.

How to use the Karnofsky Performance Scale

Our template includes the full Karnofsky Performance Scale, along with fields for documenting patient information, results, and additional notes. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you integrate it into your practice:

Step 1: Access the template

Start by clicking the "Use template" button on our webpage to open the editable version in the Carepatron app. In the app, you can customize the template, add branding, or make adjustments to suit your practice's needs. You can print it or share it digitally with colleagues. Alternatively, click the "Download" button to get a non-editable, fillable PDF.

Step 2: Assess the patient

Conduct a thorough evaluation of the patient’s functional capacity and ability to complete activities of daily living. Observe their ability to handle tasks like personal grooming, household chores, or work responsibilities. You may refer to the guide questions provided in the template to ensure a comprehensive assessment.

Step 3: Assign a rating

Using the scale, assign a percentage that corresponds to the patient's current state. The scale ranges from 100% (no complaints, no evidence of disease) to 0% (deceased). For example:

• 100%–80%: Patients are able to carry on normal activity with minimal effort or only minor signs or symptoms of disease.
• 70%–50%: Patients can live at home with occasional assistance but are unable to perform active work.
• 40%–10%: Patients require considerable assistance or active supportive treatment and must be admitted to a hospital or institutional care due to rapidly progressing disease, with fatal processes progressing rapidly.

Step 4: Document findings and plan the next steps

Use the additional notes section to detail your observations, the reasoning behind the assigned score, and any relevant plans for care. This could include recommendations for palliative care, adjustments to treatment, or additional support for daily activities. Sharing these notes with other professionals involved in the patient’s care can help streamline communication.

By using this structured template, healthcare professionals can efficiently assess, monitor, and document patient progress, ensuring high-quality care.

When to use the Karnofsky Performance Scale

The Karnofsky Performance Scale is a versatile tool used during various stages of patient care to assess and monitor functional status. It is commonly applied in cancer care, including advanced cancer, to evaluate a patient's ability to perform daily activities and guide treatment decisions. The scale is also extensively used in palliative care to assess the impact of progressive diseases on quality of life and inform end-of-life care plans.

In stroke rehabilitation, the KPS provides valuable insights into a patient’s recovery by tracking functional improvement or decline over time. It may be used in comparative therapeutic trial projects, especially for treatments like cancer chemotherapy, to evaluate baseline performance and monitor changes due to interventions. Additionally, the scale is useful in hospital settings for clinical evaluation, helping determine a patient’s need for hospital admission, special care, or institutional support.

Overall, the KPS is a critical tool for healthcare professionals to monitor disease progression, adjust care plans, and provide tailored interventions that align with the patient's needs and goals.

Who can use the Karnofsky Performance Scale?

The Karnofsky Performance Scale is a versatile tool widely used by different types of healthcare professionals:

• Oncologists: In medical oncology and cancer clinical trials, oncologists rely on the KPS to determine a patient’s suitability for specific treatments, monitor disease progression, and assess quality of life during therapies.
• Palliative care specialists: These professionals use the KPS in clinical practice to evaluate patients' functional capacity, helping design personalized palliative care plans that improve comfort and address their unique needs.
• Physicians: Doctors across specialties use the KPS as part of their clinical evaluations to assess patients’ abilities to perform daily activities and decide whether to recommend additional support or hospital care.
• Nurses: Nurses involved in providing frequent medical care leverage the KPS to observe and document changes in patients' functional status, facilitating timely adjustments to care plans.
• Researchers: The scale is a valuable tool in cancer clinical trials and other studies, providing consistent metrics to analyze treatment efficacy and patient outcomes.

The KPS’s ease of use and clarity make it essential in diverse medical settings, ensuring thorough assessments and effective communication among care teams.

Benefits of the Karnofksy Performance Scale template

Our Karnofsky Performance Scale template offers several advantages for healthcare professionals, streamlining patient assessments and supporting informed decision-making. Here are the key benefits:

• Improves efficiency in clinical practice: The template simplifies evaluations by allowing healthcare professionals to assign a score based on patient observations quickly. This saves time while maintaining accuracy, especially in busy settings requiring frequent medical care.
• Enhances communication among care teams: The standardized scoring system and added comment box foster clear communication among multidisciplinary teams. This ensures everyone involved in the patient’s care is on the same page regarding their functional status.
• Facilitates treatment planning: By categorizing patients into functional ranges, the KPS template aids in framing treatment plans, including decisions about cancer therapies, palliative care, or rehabilitation needs.
• Tracks disease progression: The KPS provides a reliable tool for monitoring changes in a patient’s abilities over time, helping to evaluate treatment efficacy and adapt care strategies as needed.
• Supports research and clinical trials: In cancer clinical trials and other research settings, the KPS template provides consistent metrics to assess patient outcomes and the impact of interventions.