Frailty assessment instruments: Systematic characterization of the uses and contexts of highly-cited instruments

Highlights • Frailty tool proliferation is a challenge for selecting an assessment instrument. • We categorized how the nine most-cited frailty instruments have been utilized. • Instruments most used were frailty phenotype, deficit accumulation index, and VES-13. • Risk assessment, etiology, and methodology were the common types of uses. • In selecting an instrument, consider intended purpose, domains captured, and past use, as well as validity and feasibility.