Introduction. Frailty is an observable and quantifiable clinical syndrome that can be defined as a progressive age-related decline in physiological systems that results in decreased reserves of intrinsic capacity, which confers extreme vulnerability to stressors and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes.

In the coming decades, the proportion of frail older individuals is expected to increase considerably. Their management entails a high cost, which will have a significant impact on the health system. The promotion of health actions aimed at preventing and reversing the state of frailty could improve patient management and reduce the associated health costs. The detection of this syndrome is a key aspect in this regard, with gait speed having been described to as a good predictor of frailty, although the information on its sensitivity and specificity is disparate, as well as the parameters used to measure it.

Aim. To conduct a systematic review of the literature in order to determine the diagnostic validity of the gait test as an indicator of frailty, and based on this evidence to propose a framework for establishing a protocol for its implementation.

Method. A search of the biomedical literature was conducted in May 2017 without a time limit, which was updated in January 2018, in the following databases: HTA (Health Technology Assessment), DARE (Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness), NHS EED (Economic Evaluation Database of the National Health Service) and the Cochrane Plus library, as well as in specific databases of clinical practice guidelines (National guideline clearinghouse, SIGN, CPG: Infobase: Clinical Practice Guidelines) and in general biomedical information databases (Medline, Embase and the ISI database). The studies that were used were selected according to previously established inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results, discussion and conclussions: See pdf Below