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Detecting social problems in cancer patients.
E P Wright1, P J Selby, A Gould
1Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Cancer Medicine Research Unit, St James's University Hospital, Beckett St., Leeds LS9 7TF, UK. medepw@cancermed.leeds.ac.uk
Psycho-Oncology
|May 15, 2001
Summary
This study evaluated the Problems Checklist for screening social issues in cancer patients. The checklist effectively identifies problems in daily living, economics, and emotions, though relationship difficulties require further research.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Psychometrics
- Social Sciences
Background:
- Cancer diagnosis and treatment significantly impact patients' physical, emotional, and social well-being.
- Routine screening for social problems in oncology is lacking due to the absence of validated questionnaires.
- The Problems Checklist is proposed as a potential tool for social problem assessment in cancer care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a psychometric analysis of the Problems Checklist.
- To assess its utility as a screening tool for social problems among oncology patients.
Main Methods:
- Psychometric evaluation using data from 505 cancer patients.
- Analysis included item endorsement frequency, missing data rates, factor analysis, and reliability/validity testing.
- Factor analysis identified a four-factor structure: daily living, relationships, economics, and emotions.
Main Results:
- The Problems Checklist demonstrated good psychometric properties, particularly for economics and emotions.
- Four distinct factors were identified, supporting the checklist's structure.
- While useful for highlighting issues, the checklist showed limitations in measuring relationship difficulties, suggesting a need for further investigation.
Conclusions:
- The Problems Checklist is a valuable tool for identifying social problems in oncology patients.
- Its psychometric properties support its use in screening for daily living, economic, and emotional challenges.
- Further refinement is needed to adequately capture and measure difficulties related to patient relationships.