Brief Fatigue Inventory

The Brief Fatigue Inventory or BFI is a 9 item questionnaire designed to assess fatigue in people with cancer or people who have previously been treated for cancer.

Theory
The BFI is quick and simple to complete, taking in average under 3 minutes. Fatigue scores are scored by severity:
 * 1–3 mild fatigue
 * 4–7 moderate fatigue, and
 * 8–10 severe fatigue

Levels of 4 or greater suggest a need for intervention beyond activities for prevention.

Evidence
The Brief Fatigue Inventory is not a scale suggested as suitable for measuring fatigue in ME/CFS.

Criticism
The BFI assesses only one dimension of fatigue and takes a very short term measure of fatigue in asking the person to assess the severity of their fatigue at the present moment and their level of functioning in the last 24 hrs. This would mean that post-exertional malaise, which can last 3 days or more, would affect the overall fatigue rating in ME/CFS patients.

Learn more

 * Oncology Nursing Society
 * National Palliative Care Research Center