| Order of assessment | Focus of evaluation | Diagnostic focus |
| Characterize the disability | Whole person | - Time course (eg, insidious versus rapid)
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- Associated symptoms (eg, associated pain and its location, shortness of breath, fatigue)
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- Specific activities affected (eg, walking, bathing, toileting)
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- Compensatory strategies in use (eg, assistive devices, human help, reducing frequency, spiritual/cognitive strategies)
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- Define severity/extent of disability (eg, physical performance test, self-report ADL/IADL function)
|
| Identify contributing impairments | Organ system | - Sensory impairment (eg, vision, tactile, vestibular)
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- Nutrition (eg, weight change, temporal wasting)
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- Cardiopulmonary (eg, shortness of breath, chest pain)
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- Musculoskeletal (eg, strength, flexibility, balance)
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- Cognitive disorders (eg, dementia, mild cognitive impairment)
|
| Identify underlying conditions | Pathophysiology | - Mood disorders (eg, depression, delirium)
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- Neurologic conditions (eg, neuropathy, stroke, parkinsonism)
|
- Musculoskeletal conditions (eg, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis)
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- Endocrine conditions (eg, thyroid, diabetes)
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- Eye diseases (eg, cataracts, macular degeneration)
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- Medication adverse effects (eg, orthostatic hypotension)
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- Miscellaneous conditions (eg, anemia, frailty/sarcopenia)
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- Social support (eg, availability/involvement of caregiver)
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| Identify contextual factors | Personal and environmental context | - Financial (eg, insurance, veteran benefits, personal finances)
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- Physical environment (eg, weather, terrain, steps/doorways)
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- Personal (eg, personality traits, education, attitude, spiritual)
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