Refinement of the Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi)

Overview

Journal Br J Cancer

Specialty Oncology

Date 2014 Aug 8

PMID 25101569

Citations 24

Authors

C OSullivan

L L Dupuis

P Gibson

D L Johnston

C Baggott

C Portwine

B Spiegler

S Kuczynski

D Tomlinson

S de Mol Van Otterloo

G A Tomlinson

L Sung

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Objective was to evaluate and refine a new instrument for paediatric cancer symptom screening named the Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi).

Methods: Respondents were children 8-18 years of age undergoing active cancer treatment and parents of eligible children. Respondents completed SSPedi once and then responded to semi-structured questions. They rated how easy or difficult SSPedi was to complete. For items containing two concepts, we asked respondents whether concepts should remain together or be separated into two questions. We also asked about each item's importance and whether items were missing. Cognitive probing was conducted in children to evaluate their understanding of items and the response scale. After each group of 10 children and 10 parents, responses were reviewed to determine whether modifications were required. Recruitment ceased with the first group of 10 children in which modifications were not required.

Results: Thirty children and 20 parents were required to achieve a final version of SSPedi. Fifteen items remain in the final version; the score ranges from 0 to 60.

Conclusions: Using opinions of children with cancer and parents of paediatric cancer patients, we successfully developed a symptom screening tool that is easy to complete, is understandable and demonstrates content validity.

Citing Articles

Symptom management care pathway adaptation process and specific adaptation decisions.

Vettese E, Sherani F, King A, Yu L, Aftandilian C, Baggott C BMC Cancer. 2023; 23(1):350.

PMID: 37069510 PMC: 10108500. DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-10835-0.

Reliability and validity of proxy-SSPedi and mini-SSPedi in pediatric patients 2-7 years receiving cancer treatments.

Tomlinson D, Dupuis L, Johnston D, Kuczynski S, Patel S, Schechter T BMC Cancer. 2022; 22(1):730.

PMID: 35787263 PMC: 9254487. DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09814-8.

Psychosocial risk, symptom burden, and concerns in families affected by childhood cancer.

Russell K, Patton M, Tromburg C, Zwicker H, Guilcher G, Bultz B Support Care Cancer. 2021; 30(3):2283-2292.

PMID: 34719739 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-021-06646-3.

Barriers to symptom management care pathway implementation in pediatric Cancer.

Dupuis L, Grimes A, Vettese E, Klesges L, Sung L BMC Health Serv Res. 2021; 21(1):1068.

PMID: 34627259 PMC: 8500815. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-07047-2.

Translating the Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi) into Argentinian Spanish for paediatric patients receiving cancer treatments, and evaluating understandability and cultural relevance in a multiple-phase descriptive study.

Gomez S, Salaverria C, Plenert E, Gonzalez G, DAngelo G, Grimes A BMJ Open. 2021; 11(4):e048287.

PMID: 33795312 PMC: 8023739. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048287.

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