Physical dependency of elderly and physically disabled; measurement concordance between 10-item Barthel index and 5-item shorter version.

Introduction: Barthel index consisting 10 items is used to estimate physical dependence of elderly and physically disabled. A shorter version with 5 items has been developed and it is more suitable as a rapid screening tool of physical dependence.

Objectives: To assess the measurement agreement between 10-item Barthel index and 5-item shorter version.