Palliative Care Tool
Palliative Care Life Expectancy & PPS Calculator | Longevity Engine
The Palliative Performance Scale (PPSv2) is the functional measure hospice and palliative teams use most often when they discuss prognosis. Answer five questions to find the PPS level that best fits your loved one, and see what that level means.
The full PPSv2 scale
Scores run in 10% steps from 100% (fully well) to 0% (death). Read the scale left to right: ambulation, activity and evidence of disease, self-care, intake, and conscious level.
- PPS 70–100% (ambulatory range): still up and about and largely self-caring. Outlook depends mainly on the diagnosis and how fast it is progressing.
- PPS 40–60% (transitional range): mobility and self-care are declining. Survival shortens as PPS falls through this range, so clinicians watch the trend.
- PPS 10–30% (end-of-life range): bed bound and needing total care. In hospice cohorts, survival at these levels is typically short.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Palliative Performance Scale predict life expectancy?
PPS is one of the most widely used functional measures in palliative care, and lower scores are consistently linked to shorter survival. But published median survival times at each level differ between studies, care settings and diagnoses, so PPS informs a prognosis rather than producing one on its own. Clinicians combine it with diagnosis, symptoms and the recent trend.
How is a PPS score assigned?
Read the scale left to right. Find the person's ambulation level first, then move across the columns (activity, self-care, intake, conscious level) to the row that fits best. The left-hand columns carry the most weight. Scores run in 10% steps from 100% (fully well) to 0% (death).
Why does the trend in PPS matter?
A score that drops quickly, for example by 10–20 points over a week, usually means a different situation from a score that stays stable for months. Repeated assessments give the care team a clearer picture than any single reading.
Sources
- Anderson F, Downing GM, Hill J, et al. Palliative Performance Scale (PPS): a new tool. Journal of Palliative Care, 1996.
- Victoria Hospice Society. Palliative Performance Scale version 2 (PPSv2).
- Lau F, et al. Use of Palliative Performance Scale in end-of-life prognostication. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2006.
Results are statistical estimates based on population-level research, not individualized medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.