Interactive G8 Screening Calculator
Use this tool to estimate a patient’s G8 geriatric screening score (0–17 points). Select one answer for each item below, then click calculate.
Clinical note: A score of ≤14 is commonly used as a positive screen for vulnerability and may indicate need for comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA).
What is the G8 score?
The G8 score is a brief geriatric screening tool commonly used in oncology and older adult care. It was designed to quickly identify older patients who may benefit from a deeper multidisciplinary review, usually called a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA).
The score ranges from 0 to 17. Higher scores generally indicate better functional and nutritional status, while lower scores suggest a greater chance of frailty, vulnerability, or reduced physiologic reserve.
How to interpret your calculator result
Practical interpretation bands
- 0–10 points: Marked vulnerability; high priority for full geriatric assessment.
- 10.5–14 points: Positive screening result; further structured evaluation is usually recommended.
- 14.5–17 points: Negative screening result; lower immediate concern, but clinical context still matters.
Many protocols use ≤14 as the key screening cutoff. This does not diagnose frailty by itself; it flags patients who may need additional evaluation before treatment decisions are finalized.
Why clinicians use G8 screening
In fast-paced clinics, full geriatric assessment for every older patient is often not realistic. The G8 tool helps prioritize who needs deeper review first. It combines nutrition, mobility, cognitive/psychological status, medication burden, and age—all major drivers of treatment tolerance.
- Quick to complete in routine visits
- Useful for triaging referrals to geriatrics
- Supports personalized care planning
- Can improve discussions around risk and goals of care
Item-by-item scoring overview
Nutrition and weight
Items on food intake decline, recent weight loss, and BMI reflect nutritional reserve. Poor nutrition can strongly affect chemotherapy tolerance, recovery, and quality of life.
Function and cognition
Mobility and neuropsychological status capture functional independence and cognitive/emotional burden. These domains are directly linked to hospitalization risk, treatment adherence, and caregiver needs.
Medication load, self-rated health, and age
Polypharmacy increases the chance of interactions and side effects. Self-perceived health often predicts outcomes better than expected, and age contributes additional risk weighting in the final score.
How to use this calculator responsibly
- Use current, accurate clinical information when selecting responses.
- Recalculate when patient status changes (e.g., weight loss, decline in mobility, new medications).
- Never use G8 as the sole basis for treatment denial or delay.
- Pair the result with clinical judgment, patient preferences, and multidisciplinary input.
Limitations to keep in mind
The G8 is a screening instrument, not a diagnostic endpoint. Some patients with higher scores can still have important hidden vulnerabilities, while some with lower scores may remain strong candidates for intensive therapies after optimization.
For best use, combine G8 results with performance status, comorbidity data, lab trends, social support, and direct patient goals.
Bottom line
This g8 score calculator gives you a fast, standardized estimate of geriatric risk. It is ideal for early triage and care planning, especially in oncology settings. A score of 14 or lower should prompt consideration of more comprehensive assessment and tailored intervention.