Abstract
Session presented on: Tuesday, July 23, 2013:
Purpose: Adolescents with cancer (AWC) experience multiple co-occurring interrelated disease- and treatment-related symptoms. A newly-developed iPad application, the Computerized Symptom Capture Tool (C-SCAT) uses a heuristics approach to explore symptom clusters. The C-SCAT combines graphical images and free text responses, empowering individuals to identify symptom clusters from their unique perspectives. This approach shifts the paradigm for studying symptom clusters to an inductive approach that considers how individuals interpret and give meaning to their clusters of symptoms. We present the feasibility and acceptability of the C-SCAT among AWC receiving chemotherapy.
Methods: 32 AWC at three United States institutions who had completed at least one cycle of chemotherapy completed the C-SCAT 24 to 96 hours following initiation of a chemotherapy cycle. Feasibility was measured via C-SCAT completion rates and AWC's evaluation of accuracy of their final drawing as a representation of their symptoms. Acceptability was evaluated with an investigator-developed questionnaire administered to the adolescents following C-SCAT completion.
Results: All adolescents completed the C-SCAT successfully and indicated that the final image was an accurate representation of their symptoms. Adolescents reported increased self-awareness and appreciation for the ability to create a pictorial representation of their experience. They endorsed a preference for use of technology over paper and pencil instruments, citing familiarity with the technology, appreciation of its speed, flexibility for editing responses, and novelty of the application. Suggestions for improvement included: ability to add additional symptoms, more engaging color graphics, and more focused questions.
Conclusion: The C-SCAT demonstrated feasibility and acceptability in these AWC receiving chemotherapy. This technology has global potential in future descriptive and intervention-based research including facilitation of patient-provider communication regarding the symptom experience and the development of symptom cluster-focused interventions. The C-SCAT also has potential use with other age groups, across the cancer treatment continuum, and in other disease states.
Sigma Membership
Unknown
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Research, Technology, Adolescents
Recommended Citation
Linder, Lauri; Erickson, Jeanne; Stegenga, Kristin; Woods, Nancy Fugate; Ameringer, Suzanne; Hinds, Pamela S.; and Macpherson, Catherine Fiona, "Feasibility and acceptability of an iPad application to assess symptom clusters in adolescents with cancer" (2013). INRC (Congress). 6.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2013/presentations_2013/6
Conference Name
24th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Prague, Czech Republic
Conference Year
2013
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Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Feasibility and acceptability of an iPad application to assess symptom clusters in adolescents with cancer
Prague, Czech Republic
Session presented on: Tuesday, July 23, 2013:
Purpose: Adolescents with cancer (AWC) experience multiple co-occurring interrelated disease- and treatment-related symptoms. A newly-developed iPad application, the Computerized Symptom Capture Tool (C-SCAT) uses a heuristics approach to explore symptom clusters. The C-SCAT combines graphical images and free text responses, empowering individuals to identify symptom clusters from their unique perspectives. This approach shifts the paradigm for studying symptom clusters to an inductive approach that considers how individuals interpret and give meaning to their clusters of symptoms. We present the feasibility and acceptability of the C-SCAT among AWC receiving chemotherapy.
Methods: 32 AWC at three United States institutions who had completed at least one cycle of chemotherapy completed the C-SCAT 24 to 96 hours following initiation of a chemotherapy cycle. Feasibility was measured via C-SCAT completion rates and AWC's evaluation of accuracy of their final drawing as a representation of their symptoms. Acceptability was evaluated with an investigator-developed questionnaire administered to the adolescents following C-SCAT completion.
Results: All adolescents completed the C-SCAT successfully and indicated that the final image was an accurate representation of their symptoms. Adolescents reported increased self-awareness and appreciation for the ability to create a pictorial representation of their experience. They endorsed a preference for use of technology over paper and pencil instruments, citing familiarity with the technology, appreciation of its speed, flexibility for editing responses, and novelty of the application. Suggestions for improvement included: ability to add additional symptoms, more engaging color graphics, and more focused questions.
Conclusion: The C-SCAT demonstrated feasibility and acceptability in these AWC receiving chemotherapy. This technology has global potential in future descriptive and intervention-based research including facilitation of patient-provider communication regarding the symptom experience and the development of symptom cluster-focused interventions. The C-SCAT also has potential use with other age groups, across the cancer treatment continuum, and in other disease states.