Precision Health Symptom Science in Oncology Nursing.

Precision health is an emerging approach to predicting, preventing, treating, and managing disease. A goal of precision health symptom science research is the reliable prediction of patients' symptom burden to optimize robu.

The association between malnutrition risk and revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS-r) scores in an adult outpatient oncology population: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-associated malnutrition is associated with worse symptom severity, functional status, quality of life, and overall survival. Malnutrition in cancer patients is often under-recognized and undertreated, emphasizing the need for standardized pathways for nutritional management in this population. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the relationship between malnutrition risk and self-reported symptom severity scores in an adult oncology outpatient population and (2) to identify whether a secondary screening tool for malnutrition risk (abPG-SGA) should be recommended for patients with a specific ESAS-r cut-off score or group of ESAS-r cut-off scores. METHODS: A single-institution retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. Malnutrition risk was measured using the Abridged Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (abPG-SGA). Cancer symptom severity was measured using the Revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS-r). In accordance with standard institutional practice, patients completed both tools at first consult at the cancer centre. Adult patients who completed the ESAS-r and abPG-SGA on the same day between February 2017 and January 2020 were included. Spearman's correlation, Mann Whitney U tests, receiver operating characteristic curves, and binary logistic regression models were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: 2071 oncology outpatients met inclusion criteria (mean age 65.7), of which 33.6% were identified to be at risk for malnutrition. For all ESAS-r parameters (pain, tiredness, drowsiness, nausea, lack of appetite, shortness of breath, depression, anxiety, and wellbeing), patients at risk for malnutrition had significantly higher scores (P < 0.001). All ESAS-r parameters were positively correlated with abPG-SGA score (P < 0.01). The ESAS-r parameters that best predicted malnutrition risk status were total ESAS-r score, lack of appetite, tiredness, and wellbeing (area under the curve = 0.824, 0.812, 0.764, 0.761 respectively). Lack of appetite score ≥ 1 demonstrated a sensitivity of 77.4% and specificity of 77.0%. Combining lack of appetite score ≥ 1 with total ESAS score > 14 yielded a sensitivity of 87.9% and specificity of 62.8%. CONCLUSION: Malnutrition risk as measured by the abPG-SGA and symptom severity scores as measured by the ESAS-r are positively and significantly correlated. Given the widespread use of the ESAS-r in cancer care, utilizing specific ESAS-r cut-offs to trigger malnutrition screening could be a viable way to identify cancer patients at risk for malnutrition.

Enhancing the Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: The Role of Electronic Health Record Patient Portal Distribution of the International Prostate Symptom Score.

INTRODUCTION: Recent AUA guidelines for the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) recommend routine collection of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) data, but routine collection can be challenging to fully implement. We investigated the impact of distributing the IPSS by electronic patient portal (EPP) on IPSS completion and its impact on BPH management. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, longitudinal study of men undergoing a new patient visit (NPV) for BPH at our academic medical center. From September 2019 to November 2022, we identified patients undergoing an NPV for BPH. Prior to January 2021, the IPSS was collected in person at NPVs via paper forms; afterwards, the IPSS was distributed before the NPV using the EPP. Our primary outcome was IPSS completion; secondary outcomes were new BPH medications and BPH surgery ordered within 6 months. RESULTS: We identified 485 patients who underwent an NPV for BPH. EPP implementation significantly increased IPSS questionnaire completion (36.5% vs 56.9%, P < .0001). Following EPP implementation, we found that new BPH medications ordered at time of NPV decreased (10.4% vs 4.7%, P = .02). Although BPH surgery ordered within 6 months was similar, patients following EPP implementation had shorter time to BPH surgery compared to prior. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that EPP distribution of the IPSS improves IPSS collection compliance, aligning our practice closer with AUA guidelines. Routine collection of the IPSS may impact clinical practice through the detection of more severe BPH, which reduces medical BPH management and time to definitive BPH therapy. Further work is needed to confirm findings.

Accessibility, Relevance, and Impact of a Symptom Monitoring Tool for Home Hospice Care: Theory Elaboration and Qualitative Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Early users found Engagement and Visualization to Improve Symptoms in Oncology Care (ENVISION), a web-based application designed to improve home management of hospice patients' symptoms and support patients' and family caregivers' well-being, to be generally useful and easy to use. However, they also raised concerns about potential challenges users with limited technological proficiency might experience. OBJECTIVE: We sought to concurrently accomplish two interrelated study aims: (1) to develop a conceptual framework of digital inclusivity for health information systems and (2) to apply the framework in evaluating the digital inclusivity of the ENVISION application. METHODS: We engaged ENVISION users (N=34) in a qualitative study in which data were collected via direct observation, think-aloud techniques, and responses to open-ended queries. Data were analyzed via theory elaboration and basic qualitative description. RESULTS: Accessibility, relevance, and impact were identified as 3 essential considerations in evaluating a health system's digital inclusivity. Study findings generally supported ENVISION's digital inclusivity, particularly concerning its perceived relevance to the work of family caregivers and hospice clinicians and its potentially positive impact on symptom management and quality of life. Limitations to ENVISION's digital inclusivity centered around issues of accessibility, particularly operability among individuals with limited technological knowledge and skills. CONCLUSIONS: The Accessibility, Relevance, and Impact conceptual framework of digital inclusivity for health information systems can help identify opportunities to strengthen the digital inclusivity of tools, such as ENVISION, intended for use by a broad and diverse range of users.

Effect of Education on Symptom Management and Control in Cancer Patients Receiving Palliative Care.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the effect of an educational intervention on cancer patients receiving palliative care and their caregivers concerning symptom management and family needs. METHODS: This study involved 120 participants-60 cancer patients and their respective caregivers-divided into intervention and control groups. Over a 2-week period, the intervention group received a comprehensive educational program focusing on symptom management, while the control group did not receive any educational intervention. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) were used to assess patients' symptoms, their intensity, and performance, while the Family Need Scale (FNS) was utilized to evaluate caregivers' needs. These assessments were conducted at the beginning and end of the study. Primary outcomes focused on symptom assessment using ESAS and PPS, along with evaluating caregivers' needs through FNS. Secondary outcomes involved assessing participant satisfaction with the intervention. RESULTS: At the end of the study, comparing initial and second evaluations, both ESAS and PPS scores significantly increased in the intervention and control groups (p = .003, p = .002, respectively). Additionally, a statistically significant decrease in the severity of symptoms, except for lethargy/hypokinesis, was observed in the intervention group compared to the control group. The FNS scale indicated that family needs satisfaction was higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. The data obtained demonstrated that there was a reduction the pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, drowsiness, and shortness of breath levels in the intervention group compared to the control group, but there was no significant difference other than these symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The educational intervention positively impacted symptom management and family needs. Optimizing symptom control would greatly benefit palliative care patients and their caregivers.

The Effect of the Neuman Systems Model-Based Training and Follow-up on Self-Efficacy and Symptom Control in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy.

In this article, the authors aimed to determine the effect of the training and follow-up based on the Neuman systems model provided to patients undergoing chemotherapy on their self-efficacy and symptom control. The study was carried out with a randomized controlled experimental study model design. The sample consisted of 102 patients including 52 in the experimental group and 50 in the control group. The data were collected using the Patient Information Form, the Cancer Behavior Inventory-Brief (CBI-B), and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). A personal training program prepared according to the Neuman systems model was applied to the experimental group patients. In the intergroup comparison of the experimental and control group patients, there was an increase in the posttest CBI-B scores and a decrease in the ESAS scores in the experimental group compared to the control group, and the intergroup difference was statistically significant (p < .05). According to the results, to improve the self-efficacy and symptom control in patients undergoing chemotherapy, using this education and follow-up program is recommended.

Validated Symptom Outcomes Following Septal Perforation Repair: Application of the NOSE-Perf Scale.

OBJECTIVE: The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE)-Perf scale was developed and validated to measure symptoms associated with nasal septal perforations. This study reports the application of the NOSE-Perf scale to evaluate symptom change following septal perforation repair. METHODS: Patients with NOSE-Perf evaluations ≥6 months following attempted perforation closure from July 2018 to December 2021 utilizing bilateral nasal mucosal flaps with an interposition graft were eligible for study inclusion. Change in NOSE-Perf scores were noted. Patient demographics, perforation size, and concurrent functional procedures were analyzed for impact on symptom outcomes. RESULTS: One-hundred and seventeen patients met the study criteria. Seventy-nine (67.5%) of the patients were female and the mean (range) age at surgery was 47.3 (14-78) years. Repair failure was noted in 7 (6.0%) patients. Mean (SD) preoperative NOSE-Perf score was 25.3 (95% CI, 23.5-27.1) and postoperative score was 7.9 (95% CI, 6.5-9.3). Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was estimated and greater than 91% of patients had improvement above this threshold. Patient age, perforation size, or concurrent functional procedures did not impact outcomes. Postoperative scores at short (2-4 months), intermediate (5-8 months), and long-term (≥9 months) time periods showed significant improvement (all p < 0.001) compared to preoperative NOSE-Perf scores. CONCLUSION: Significant reduction in nasal symptoms as measured by the NOSE-Perf scale is noted following bilateral mucosal flap repair. Although the nose does not completely normalize following repair, clinically important improvement was noted in at least 91% of patients. The NOSE-Perf scale is positioned to play a role in the standardization of septal perforation evaluation and outcomes assessment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:3067-3072, 2024.

Symptom content analysis of OSA questionnaires: time to identify and improve relevance of diversity of OSA symptoms?

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a heterogeneous condition covering many clinical phenotypes in terms of the diversity of symptoms. Patient-based OSA screening questionnaires used in routine practice contain significantly varying contents that can impact the reliability and validity of the screening. We investigated to what extent common patient-based OSA screening questionnaires differ or overlap in their item content by conducting a rigorous, methodical, and quantified content overlap analysis. METHODS: We conducted an item content analysis of 11 OSA screening questionnaires validated in adult populations and characterized their overlap using a 4-step approach: (1) selection of OSA screening questionnaires, (2) item extraction and selection, (3) extraction of symptoms from items, and (4) assessment of content overlap with the Jaccard index (from 0, no overlap, to 1, full overlap). RESULTS: We extracted 72 items that provided 25 distinct symptoms from 11 selected OSA questionnaires. The overlap between them was weak (mean Jaccard index: 0.224; ranging from 0.138 to 0.329). All questionnaires contained symptoms of the "OSA symptom" dimension (eg, snoring or witnessed apneas). The STOP-BANG (0.329) and the Berlin (0.280) questionnaires exhibited the highest overlap content. Ten symptoms (40%) were investigated in only 1 questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: The heterogeneity of content and the low overlap across these questionnaires reflect the challenges of screening OSA. The different OSA questionnaires potentially capture varying aspects of the disorder, with the risk of biased results in studies. Suggestions are made for better OSA screening and refinement of clinical OSA phenotypes. CITATION: Gauld C, Baillieul S, Martin VP, et al. Symptom content analysis of OSA questionnaires: time to identify and improve relevance of diversity of OSA symptoms? J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(7):1105-1117.

Assessment of emotional distress in palliative care: Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESAS-r) vs Distress Thermometer.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Distress Thermometer (DT) as a screening tool for emotional distress in oncological palliative care patients and to compare the DT with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESAS-r) and the gold standard to determine the most appropriate assessment method in palliative psychological care. METHODS: Data were collected from psychological screening tests (ESAS-r and DT), and clinical interviews (gold standard) were conducted by a clinical psychologist specialist in palliative oncology from January 2021 to January 2022 in an oncology palliative care service. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 356 first-time patients with a diagnosis of advanced cancer in palliative care. The most frequently reported oncological diagnoses were gastrointestinal tract (49.3%) and breast (18.3%). Most patients were female (n = 206; 57.9%), 60.4% were married/with a partner, 55.4% had between 6 and 9 years of schooling, and a median age of 57 (range, 46-65) years. The cutoff of the DT was 5, with a sensitivity of 75.88% and specificity of 54.3%. Emotional problems (sadness and nervousness) had a greater area under the curve (AUC) when measured using the DT than the ESAS-r; however, only in the case of the comparative sadness and discouragement was the difference between the AUC marginally significant. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The use of the DT as a screening tool in oncological palliative care is more effective in the evaluation of psychological needs than the ESAS-r. The DT, in addition to evaluation by an expert psychologist, allows for a more comprehensive identification of signs and symptoms to yield an accurate mental health diagnosis based on the International Classification of Diseases-11th Revision and/or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition.

Síndrome clínico aislado: diagnóstico y riesgo de desarrollar esclerosis múltiple clínicamente definida / Clinically isolated syndrome: diagnosis and risk of developing clinically definite multiple sclerosis

Introducción: La mayoría de los pacientes con esclerosis múltiple (EM) debutan con un síndrome clínico aislado (SCA). Es importante diferenciar este SCA de otras patologías neurológicas agudas o subagudas y estimar el riesgo de desarrollar una esclerosis múltiple clínicamente definida (EMCD), pues un segundo ataque clínico en un corto período de tiempo se asocia con peor pronóstico a largo plazo. Desarrollo: Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica con el objetivo de contrastar diferentes variables, tales como la resonancia magnética (RM) y distintos marcadores biofluídicos como las bandas oligoclonales IgG (BOC), bandas oligoclonales IgM (BOCM), bandas oligoclonales IgM lípido específicas (BOCM-LE), índice de cadenas ligeras libres Kappa (κ index) mediante la determinación de las cadenas ligeras libres kappa en líquido cefalorraquídeo (LCR), neurofilamentos de cadenas ligeras en LCR (NfLL) y suero (NfLS) y la proteína chitinasa 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) en LCR (CHI3L1L) y suero (CHI3L1S), con el objetivo de mejorar la precisión diagnóstica y predecir los riesgos de un segundo ataque clínico tras un SCA. Conclusión: Unas BOC positivas junto con la identificación de lesiones por RM, reducirán el tiempo de diagnóstico y nos indicarán que la mayoría de los pacientes con SCA evolucionarán a EM. Un κ index > 10,6 y una concentración de NfLL > 1.150 ng/L, nos muestran que los SCA tienen más probabilidades de convertirse en EM durante el primer año (40/50%). El 90% de los pacientes con SCA y niveles de CHI3L1S > 33 ng/mL, y el 100% con presencia BOCM-LE se transforman en EM durante el primer año.(AU)

Introduction: In most cases, multiple sclerosis (MS) initially presents as clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). Differentiating CIS from other acute or subacute neurological diseases and estimating the risk of progression to clinically definite MS is essential since presenting a second episode in a short time is associated with poorer long-term prognosis. Development: We conducted a literature review to evaluate the usefulness of different variables in improving diagnostic accuracy and predicting progression from CIS to MS, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and such biofluid markers as oligoclonal IgG and IgM bands, lipid-specific oligoclonal IgM bands in the CSF, CSF kappa free light-chain (KFLC) index, neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the CSF and serum, and chitinase 3–like protein 1 (CHI3L1) in the CSF and serum. Conclusions: Codetection of oligoclonal IgG bands and MRI lesions reduces diagnostic delays and suggests a high risk of CIS progression to MS. A KFLC index > 10.6 and CSF NfL concentrations > 1150 ng/L indicate that CIS is more likely to progress to MS within one year (40-50%); 90% of patients with CIS and serum CHI3L1 levels > 33 ng/mL and 100% of those with lipid-specific oligoclonal IgM bands present MS within one year of CIS onset.

Adaptation and Validation of the Hebrew Version of the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) Scale.

BACKGROUND: Nasal obstruction is one of the most common complaints in the practice of rhinology. OBJECTIVES: To adapt the Nasal Obstruction Scale Evaluation (NOSE) questionnaire to Hebrew (H-NOSE) and to assess its sensitivity and specificity. METHODS: Candidates for surgical intervention due to isolated nasal obstruction and healthy volunteers (controls) were included in the validation. The English NOSE questionnaire was translated into Hebrew and re-translated for translation validity. Patients completed the H-NOSE questionnaire before and after surgery for nasal obstruction. The same questionnaire was completed by the controls. Test-retest reliability was performed within 2 weeks. Psychometric properties (reliability, reproducibility, validity, and responsiveness) were assessed by a test-retest procedure, internal consistency, correlation to the Hebrew Sino-Nasal Outcome Tool 22 (He-SNOT-22), and response sensitivity. RESULTS: In total, 179 patients with nasal obstruction and 74 controls completed the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha score was 0.93 for internal consistency. The receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity (< 90%) and area under the curve was 0.97. We found no significant difference in test-retest reliability. The difference between the pre- and postoperative questionnaire scores was highly significant (13.9 ± 4.0 vs. 3.2 ± 4.1, respectively, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The H-NOSE questionnaire demonstrated reliable internal consistency, sensitivity, specificity, and reliability. The Hebrew version differentiated between patients and heathy controls and was easy to administer. This instrument is useful for Hebrew speaking patients who undergo surgery for nasal obstruction.

Study of correlation between Visual Prostate Symptom Score and International Prostate Symptom Score in men with lower urinary tract symptoms with reference to Uroflowmetry parameters in Indian population.

PURPOSE: International prostate symptom score (IPSS) is a complex questionnaire method for objective assessment of Lower urinary tract symptoms. So, there is a need to develop a simple and easy scoring system that could be easily used for illiterates and older aged patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a prospective observational study with 202 participants, conducted at the department of urology of a tertiary care hospital in eastern India. The patients more than 50 years of age, attending urology OPD with Lower urinary tract symptoms were included in the study. Printed IPSS and VPSS questionnaires were given to the patient to answer. RESULTS: Eighty-two percent (82%) of the higher education group and 97% of the lower education group needed assistance to answer IPSS questionnaires while 18% of the higher education group and 44% of the lower education group needed assistance to answer VPSS questionnaires. Sixty-four (64%) of patients in our study belong to the high education level while 36% of patients belong to the low education group. The mean age was 60.1 years. The mean IPSS and VPSS were 19 and 11 respectively. The mean PSA was 1.5 ng/ml. The time taken to fill VPSS questionnaire was much less than IPSS questionnaires. All the patients felt that VPSS was easier. Statistically significant (p-value < 0.05) correlation was found between total IPSS and total VPSS, Q2 IPSS and Q1 VPSS, Q7 IPSS and Q2 VPSS, Q5 IPSS and Q3 VPSS, and IPSS Qol and VPSS Qol. A negative correlation was found between Q3 VPSS and Qmax, and Q5 IPSS and Qmax. CONCLUSIONS: VPSS can be used as an alternative tool to IPSS to assess LUTS, which uses pictograms instead of questionnaires, even in patients with limited education.

Validation of the Arabic Version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System.

Quality cancer care is a team effort. In addition, patients' symptoms change over the course of treatment. As such, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) is a simple tool designed to quickly monitor symptom change. Here, we present the results from a two-phase study aimed at validating the Arabic version of the ESAS (ESAS-A). Phase one involved the creation of two versions of the ESAS with both reverse and forward translations by bilingual, native Arabic speakers as well as evaluation by an expert panel. The reconciled version was then administered to 20 patients as a pilot from which to create the final version, which was then used with 244 patients. Phase two for the ESAS-involved an ESAS-based validation of 244 adults aged 18 years and older who were diagnosed with advanced cancer; then, further validation was completed in conjunction with two other symptom survey tools, the EORTC-Pal 15 and the HADS. The ESAS-A items possessed good internal consistency with an average Cronbach's alpha of 0.84, ranging from 0.82 to 0.85. Moreover, the results of ESAS-A showed good agreement with those of EORTC QLQ- 15 PAL (r = 0.36 to 0.69) and HADS (r = 0.60 and 0.57) regarding anxiety and depression. We found the ESAS-A to be responsive to symptom change and a median time to completion of 3.73 min. The results of our study demonstrate that the ESAS-A is a reliable, valid, and feasible tool for the purposes of monitoring symptom change over the course of cancer treatment.

The impact of routine Edmonton symptom assessment system use on receiving palliative care services: results of a population-based retrospective-matched cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: In 2007, Cancer Care Ontario began standardised symptom assessment as part of routine care using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS). AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of ESAS on receipt of palliative care when compared with a matched group of unexposed patients. DESIGN: A retrospective-matched cohort study examined the impact of ESAS screening on initiation of palliative care services provided by physicians or homecare nurses. The study included adult patients diagnosed with cancer between 2007 and 2015. Exposure was defined as completing ≥1 ESAS during the study period. Using 4 hard and 14 propensity score-matched variables, patients with cancer exposed to ESAS were matched 1:1 to those who were not. Matched patients were followed from first ESAS until initiation of palliative care, death or end of study. RESULTS: The final cohort consisted of 204 688 matched patients with no prior palliative care consult. The pairs were well matched. The cumulative incidence of receiving palliative care within the first 5 years was higher among those exposed to ESAS compared with those who were not (27.9% (95% CI: 27.5% to 28.2%) versus 27.9% (95% CI: 27.5% to 28.2%)), when death is considered as a competing event. In the adjusted cause-specific Cox proportional hazards model, ESAS assessment was associated with a 6% increase in palliative care services (HR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.08). CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that patients exposed to ESAS were more likely to receive palliative care services compared with patients who were not exposed. This observation provides real-world data of the impact of routine assessment with a patient-reported outcome.

Finalising the administration of co-SSPedi, a dyad approach to symptom screening for paediatric patients receiving cancer treatments.

OBJECTIVES: Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi) is a validated self-report symptom screening tool for patients with cancer 8-18 years of age. Co-SSPedi is a novel dyad approach in which both child and parent complete SSPedi together. The objective was to finalise the approach to co-SSPedi administration with instruction that is easy to understand, resulting in dyads completing co-SSPedi correctly. METHOD: We enrolled child and parent dyads, who understood English and where children (4-18 years) had cancer or were hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients. We provided each dyad with instruction on how to complete co-SSPedi together. Mixed methods were used to determine how easy or hard the instruction was to understand. Two raters adjudicated if co-SSPedi was completed correctly. Dyads were enrolled in cohorts of 12 evenly divided by age (4-7, 8-10, 11-14 and 15-18 years). RESULTS: We enrolled 5 cohorts of 12 dyads, resulting in 60 dyads. Following verbal instruction provided in the first cohort, we identified the need for written instruction emphasising children should wait for parent response prior to entering scores. The instruction was iteratively refined based on qualitative feedback until the fifth cohort, where all 12 dyads found the instruction easy to understand and completed co-SSPedi correctly. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a standard approach to dyad symptom screening named co-SSPedi with instruction that is easy to understand, resulting in correct co-SSPedi completion. Future efforts should focus on co-SSPedi validation and understanding how co-SSPedi scores compare to self- or proxy-reported symptom reporting.

Dimensional Assessment of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors: Development and Preliminary Validation of a New Measure.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide initial validation of the Dimensional Assessment of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors (DARB), a new parent-report measure designed to capture the full range of key restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) subdomains. METHOD: Parents of 1,892 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (mean [SD] age = 10.81 [4.14] years) recruited from the SPARK (Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge) research match completed the DARB, several existing RRB instruments, and measures of social and communication impairments and anxiety. A subsample of 450 parents completed the DARB after 2 weeks to evaluate the test-retest stability. RESULTS: Exploratory graph analysis conducted in the exploratory subsample identified 8 dimensions that were aligned with hypothesized RRB subdomains: repetitive sensory motor behaviors, insistence on sameness, restricted interests, unusual interests, sensory sensitivity, self-injurious behaviors, obsessions and compulsive behaviors, and repetitive language. The confirmatory application of the exploratory structural equation modeling conducted in the confirmatory subsample showed that the derived factor structure had a good fit to the data. Derived factors had excellent reliability, convergent and divergent validity, and very strong test-retest stability and showed a distinct pattern of associations with key demographic, cognitive and clinical correlates. CONCLUSION: The DARB will be useful in a variety of research and clinical contexts considering the prominence and clinical impact of RRB in autism spectrum disorder. Strong preliminary evidence indicates that the new scale is comprehensive and captures a wide range of distinct RRB subdomains not simultaneously captured by any of the existing instruments.

How Does Triage by an Electronic Symptom Checker Match with Triage by a Nurse?

Omaolo© electronic symptom checkers (ESCs) have been developed to make triage for primary health care patients in Finland. Based on the analysis of the patient's responses to a set of questions, the ESC classifies him/her as emergent, urgent, not urgent, or advices on self-care. In this study the user answered the questions posed by the electronic symptom checker, after which a nurse assessed the urgency of the same user's symptom. The triage nurse was not allowed to know the result of the electronic symptom assessment until he or she had assessed the patient's condition. The level of triage was compared between ESC and nurse in each individual case. Findings from 825 individual cases were analyzed. The mean "exactly matched" for all symptom estimates was 52.6%. The mean "exactly matched" or "overconservative but suitable" for all symptom assessments was 66.6%. Safe assessments of electronic symptom checkers accounted for 98.6% of all assessments. A case was defined as "safe" if the recommendation for action given by the symptom assessment was at most one level less urgent than the nurse's triage assessment of the same case. The findings show that electronic symptom assessments are safe compared to the assessment of an experienced nurse.

Correlation of self-efficacy and symptom control in cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study was planned to evaluate the self-efficacy and symptom control of cancer patients and to determine the factors affecting them. METHODS: The sample of the study consisted of 329 cancer patients who were treated in the Medical Oncology Clinic of a university hospital between April and June 2019 and accepted to participate in the study. Data were collected using the Patient Characteristics Information Form, Cancer Behavior Inventory-Short Version (CBI-SV), and Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). Percentage, mean, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance were used in the analysis of the data. RESULTS: The mean CBI-SV score of the patients was 79.10 ± 17.55. It was determined that the highest mean score of ESAS of the patients was in the symptom of fatigue (3.53 ± 2.81). Some symptoms were statistically lower in patients with good income, who are working, and who are non-smokers. Also it was determined that the self-efficacy levels of the patients with good income and quitting smoking were higher (p < 0.05). At the same time, as the patients' self-efficacy scores increased, the severity of the symptoms they experienced decreased statistically (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was found that the patients' self-efficacy score was above the moderate level, the most intense symptom experienced by the patients was fatigue, and the severity of the symptoms decreased as the patients' self-efficacy level increased. In line with these results; the symptoms, self-efficacy perceptions, and affecting factors of cancer patients should be evaluated by nurses at regular intervals, and care and consultancy services should be provided.

Patient-specific affect-abdominal pain interactions in endometriosis: an experience sampling method (ESM) study.

OBJECTIVES: Cross-sectional studies show that endometriosis-related pain is associated with affect. Measuring these symptoms in real-time in a longitudinal perspective yields the ability to analyze the temporal relationship between variables. The aim was to evaluate the association between affect and abdominal pain, using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) as a real-time, randomly repeated assessment. METHODS: Thirty-four endometriosis patients and 31 healthy subjects completed up to 10 real-time self-assessments concerning abdominal pain and affective symptoms during seven consecutive days. RESULTS: Endometriosis patients experienced more abdominal pain and negative affective symptoms, and scored lower on positive affect compared to healthy controls. A significant association was found between abdominal pain and both positive and negative affect in endometriosis patients. For healthy controls, less strong or non-significant associations were found. When looking at abdominal pain as a predictor for affect and vice versa, we found that only in endometriosis patients, pain was subsequently accompanied by negative affect, and positive affect may alleviate pain in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms a concurrent and temporal relationship between affect and abdominal pain in endometriosis patients and supports the use of real-time symptom assessment to interpret potential influencers of abdominal complaints in patients with endometriosis.