The life after gastric surgery index: conceptual basis and initial psychometric assessment

Understanding the influence of symptoms on an individual's life is important when providing nursing care. Currently, however, there are few clinically useful tools for assessing symptoms in individuals who have had surgery for gastric cancer. The Life After Gastric Surgery Index was developed to address this need by providing a multidimensional measure of symptom experience (frequency, severity, and bothersomeness) of 18 common symptoms patients may experience after gastroesophageal surgery for cancer. Initial psychometric assessment of the Life After Gastric Surgery Index has demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability and strong face, content, and criterion-related validity on two small samples. This paper reviews the conceptual basis of the Life After Gastric Surgery Index, the results of its initial psychometric assessments, and the implications this measure has for clinical practice and research.