How to Use the Barthel Index Calculator
- Assess Daily Activities: Evaluate the patient's ability in each of the following categories:
- Feeding
- Bathing
- Grooming
- Dressing
- Bowel Control
- Bladder Control
- Toilet Use
- Transfer
- Mobility
- Stairs
- Enter Scores for Each Activity: Assign points based on the level of independence or assistance required.
- Higher scores indicate greater independence.
- Calculate Total Barthel Score: The calculator sums the points for all activities to determine the overall score.
Barthel Score & Interpretation
The Barthel Index considers both time and assistance needed to perform daily tasks, providing a clear picture of the patient's functional status.
Example Calculation:
Let’s evaluate Lucy, a 75-year-old woman recently discharged from the hospital after a stroke.
Activity Scores:
- Feeding Needs help (5)
- Bathing: Independent with a shower (5)
- Grooming: Independent (5)
- Dressing: Needs help with complex movements (5)
- Bowel Control: Continent (10)
- Bladder Control: Occasional incontinence (5)
- Toilet Use: Independent (10)
- Transfer: Needs minor help (10)
- Mobility: Walks with assistance (10)
- Stairs: Needs help (5)
Total Score: 70
Interpretation: Lucy requires moderate assistance with daily activities.
Activity Scores:
- Barthel Score Interpretation:
- 0–20: Total dependence.
- 21–60: Severe dependence.
- 61–90: Moderate dependence.
- 91–99: Slight dependence.
- 100: Complete independence.
Patients scoring below 60 typically require significant assistance in daily activities, while those closer to 100 are mostly independent.
What is ADL?
ADL, short for Activities of Daily Living, is a term used to describe the daily activities that a person performs to maintain themselves. ADL-centered tests mostly contain questions about feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, work, cleaning oneself, and leisure time. Independence in performing these tasks serves as a quick assessment to see if a person requires any day-to-day care.
This assessment is mostly used on the elderly with numerous comorbidities, such as diabetes or kidney failure, and on those who have suffered from injuries. In case of unsatisfactory results, a person may need help from skilled professionals, such as nurses or other qualified personnel.
For patients in bad conditions, recently admitted to the hospital you may use Glasgow Coma Scale. It's a neurological scale that describes the level of a patient's consciousness objectively.
Barthel index in clinical use
The Barthel ADL index aims especially at specific groups of patients, such as those after a stroke, those with neurological disorders, as well as general oncology patients. The physician may calculate the score when the patient is discharged from the hospital or during a primary care visit.
In the Barthel ADL index, there are ten variables on ADL and mobility. In each question, the time needed to perform a task, as well as any verbal and physical help from others, plays a crucial role when determining the self-care level. The higher the number of points given for each answer, the more independent the person is.
What is ADL?
- Comprehensive Assessment: Measures independence across multiple ADLs.
- Monitoring Progress: Tracks recovery after strokes, surgeries, or hospitalizations.
- Customized Care Planning: Helps healthcare providers tailor interventions and allocate resources effectively.
- Standardized Scoring: Facilitates objective comparisons across patients or over time.