Abstract 1714P
Background
The routine use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in clinical practice improves care, it helps in reducing the access to emergency services and unscheduled visits, and it can improve cancer patients’ time survival. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) is a PROs largely used in many care settings to monitor physical and psychological symptoms. Nonetheless, along with these symptoms, literature also stressed the effect of spiritual pain, financial distress (called financial toxicity), and social isolation on treatment effectiveness and time survival. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate the ESAS - Total Care (ESAS-TC). This scale is intended to evaluate and screen not only physical and psychological symptoms, but also spiritual pain, discomfort due to financial problems associated with illness, and suffering related to social isolation.
Methods
A sample of Italian native out-patients, who referred to the dedicated Supportive Care Unit of the Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milano, were asked to fill the Italian version of the ESAS-TC and other self-administered questionnaires to assess perceived stress, unmet needs, and perceived social support. Additionally, patients were asked to retake the ESAS-TC after 3-5 weeks.
Results
The scales were administered to 243 patients with solid (90%) and haematologic (10%) cancers, mean age 62.61, female 76.5%, 90% in active treatment. Analysis suggested that a single factor better represents the scale structure. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were good. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity were provided, and criterion validity was established confirming that the ESAS-TC total score predicted the patient’s stress. Finally, known groups validity was confirmed testing the differences due to the Karnofsky Performance Status and the WHO/ ECOG Performance Status.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that the ESAS-TC is a psychometrically sound scale that potentially helps in moving cancer research forward and personalize cancer care, which in turn should make cancer care more effective.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.