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Table 1 Instruments developed to assess symptoms or quality of life of cancer patients under palliative care

From: A critical analysis of test-retest reliability in instrument validation studies of cancer patients under palliative care: a systematic review

Author

Country (language)

Instrument

No. of items

Population profile

Sample

Time to retest

Objective confirmation of clinical stability

Type of statistics used

n (total)

n (retest)

Axelsson et al. [10]

Sweden (Swedish)

AQEL

22

ACP. Median age = 67.5 years, mean and median KPS = 62.3 and 70, respectively.

71

30

3 days

Not described

Spearman Rank correlation

Cohen et al. [11]

Canada (English)

MQOL

16

ACP. Could be receiving chemotherapy. Mean age: 59 years). Life expectancy greater than 2 weeks.

100

49-59

2 days

Yes

ICC

Llobera et al. [12]

Spain (Spanish)

HRCA-QL index

5

APC (end-of-life). Median survival = 59 days.

200

39

1 month (mean)

Yes

ICC

Mystakidou et al. [13]

Greece (Hellenic)

PLQI

28

Patients with symptomatic incurable cancer. Off anticancer treatment for ≥ 3 months. All patients classified as ECOG-PS ≥ 2 (ECOG-PS3 = 68%).

120

120

7 days

No

Spearman Rank correlation

Steinhauser et al. [14]

USA (English)

QUAL-E

25

Terminal CHF, ESRD, COPD, and stage IV cancer (56%).

248

135-170

7 days

Yes

ICC

Lopes Ferreira et al. [15]

Portugal (Portuguese)

POS

10

ACP (life expectancy < 1 year), non-terminal, many of them undergoing chemotherapy.

109

30

7 days

No

Pearson correlation

Suárez-del-Real et al. [16]

Mexico (Spanish)

QLQ-C15-PAL

15

ACP undergoing exclusive palliative care. KPS < =70% = 78%.

83

30

15.7 days (mean)

No

Repeated measures ANOVA

Leppert et al. [17]

Poland (Polish)

QLQ-C15-PAL

15

ACP undergoing palliative care.

129

129

7 days

No

Spearman Rank correlation

Kim et al. [18]

Korea (Korean)

MQLS

32

Mortality rate during study = 80%, ECOG-PS > = 3 = 71.2%.

70

54-64

3 hours and 7 days

No

ICC

Kim et al. [19]

Korea (Korean)

HQLS

43

Advanced cancer patients under exclusive palliative care. ECOG-PS3/4 = 64.2%.

180

88

1-2 weeks

No

Not described

Serra-Prat et al. [20]

Spain (Spanish)

POS

10

ACP under palliative care. Mean KPS = 50.93%.

200

Not described

1 week

Yes

ICC

Eisenchlas et al. [21]

Argentina (Spanish)

POS

10

ACP under palliative care. ECOG-PS 3/4 = 58%.

65

24

2 days

No

Weighted kappa agreement

Guo et al. [22]

USA (English)

Brief Hospice Inventory

17

Geriatric population (mean age = 78 years, 83% ≥ 70 years) 47% Advanced cancer under hospice care in 47%.

145

63

1 week

No

Not described

Lo et al. [23]

China (Chinese)

MQOL

16

Incurable ACP.

462

20

2 days

No

ICC

Shahidi et al. [24]

Iran (Persian)

MQOL

16

Mean KPS = 74.8%. Any type of incurable cancer with an estimated life expectancy of < 12 months was considered for the study.

61

Not clearly stated

24-72 hours

No

Pearson correlation

Harding et al. [25]

South Africa and Uganda (most spoke IsiZulu1)

APCA African Palliative Outcome Scale

10

Hospice patients, including ACP. Limited self-care and completely disabled = 41.7%.

682

307

21.2 hours (mean)

No

ICC

Hearn et al. [26]

England and Scotland (English)

POS

10

ACP (98%) under palliative care. Limited activity or disabled = 47.1%.

168

34

3-7 days

Yes

Weighted kappa agreement

Wilson et al. [27]

Canada (English)

SISC

13

ACP under palliative care. Median survival = 46 days.

68

46

1-3 days

No

Pearson correlation

Agra et al. [28]

Spain (Spanish)

RSCL

39

ACP under palliative care. Terminal illness (life expectancy < 6 months). KPS < 70% in 65.2%.

118

116

24 hours

No

ICC

Chang et al. [29]

USA (English)

ESAS

10

ACP under palliative care. Mostly elderly male patients.

233

19-23

1 day and 1 week

No

Spearman Rank correlation

Stiel et al. [30]

Germany (German)

MIDOS

12

ACP under palliative care. ECOG-PS 3/4 = 56.6%.

60

60

1 day

No

Pearson correlation

Moro et al. [31]

Italy (Italian)

ESAS

10

ACP under exclusive palliative care. In-patients, KPS ≤ 40 = 75%. Median survival = 35 days.

241

60

24-48 hours

No

ICC

Mystakidou et al. [32]

Greece (Greek)

MDASI

19

ACP under palliative care. ECOG-PS 3/4 = 63%.

150

100

3 days

No

Pearson correlation

Pautex et al. [33]

Swiss (French)

ESAS

10

ACP under palliative care. Mean age = 72 years.

42

42

1 day

No

Paired t test

Stiel et al. [34]

Germany (German)

HOPE-SP-CL

16

ACP under palliative care; inpatients.

31,055

332-472

7 days

No

Spearman Rank correlation

Carvajal et al. [35]

Spain (Spanish)

ESAS

10

ACP under palliative care. KPS ≤ 70% = 45.5%.

171

146

0-6 hours

No

Spearman Rank correlation and Lin’s Concordance test

Radbruch et al. [36]

Germany (German)

MIDOS

12

ACP under palliative care. ECOG-PS 3/4 = 81.2%.

128

76

1-6 days

Yes

Pearson correlation

Kwon et al. [37]

Korea (Korean)

ESAS

10

Mostly symptomatic ACP undergoing active antineoplastic treatment.

162

162

2-4 hours

No

Pearson correlation

Aoun et al. [38]

Australia (English)

SAS

7

ACP under palliative care.

572

60

2 hours

Yes

ICC

Pereira et al. [39]

Portugal (Portuguese)

FACT-G

28

ACP under PC (end-of-life). Inpatients and outpatients. Performance status not described.

346

27

8-9 days

No

Pearson correlation

Sterkenburg et al. [40]

Canada (English)

MQLS

32

Most were ACP under palliative care. Mean survival = 49.56 days.

84

73

3 hours and 7 days

No

ICC

  1. USA United States of America, ICC intraclass correlation coefficient, CHF chronic heart failure, ANOVA Analysis of variance, ESRD end stage renal disease, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, AQEL Assessment of Quality of Life at the End of Life, MQOL McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire, HRCA-QL index Hebrew Rehabilitation Centre for Aged Quality of Life Index, PLQI The Palliative Care Quality of Life Instrument, QUAL-E Quality of Life at the End of Life, POS Palliative Care Outcome Scale, QLQ-C15-PAL The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C15-PAL, MQLS McMaster Quality of Life Scale, HQLS Hospice Quality of Life Scale, SISC Structured Interview for Symptoms and Concerns, RSCL Rotterdam Symptom Check List, ESAS Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, MIDOS Minimal Documentation System, MDASI MD Anderson Symptom Inventory, HOPE-SP-CL Multidimensional symptom and problem checklist, SAS Symptom Assessment Scale, FACT-G Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy- General. 1 IsiZulu (49.6%), English (15.3%), isiXhosa (12.8%), Luganda (6.4%), SeSotho (6.3%), Runyoro (5.4%), Runyankole (3.9%), and SeTswana (0.4%).2 7 for the patients and 3 for the caregivers.