Karnofsky Performance Status Scale Clinical Classification

**Semantic type:** Intellectual Product

**Definition:** A standardized rating scale originally developed by David A. Karnofsky and Joseph H. Burchenal in 1949 which is used to evaluate the degree to which a patient is functionally impaired. This instrument consists of 3 sections, no special care needed, unable to work, and unable to care for one's self and is completed by a clinician based on their observations. There are a total of eleven levels ranging from 0-100 where 0 indicates that the patient is dead and 100 indicates that the patient is normal.

**Synonyms:** - KPS SCALE - KPSS01