Use of a modified symptom distress scale in assessment of the cancer patient

Symptom distress was assessed in a heterogeneous sample of cancer patients using a modified version of the McCorkle and Young (Cancer Nurs. 1, 373-378, 1978) Symptom Distress scale based on a linear analogue self-assessment (LASA) scale. Validity was assessed. Reliability, based on estimation of internal consistency (Cronbach's coefficient alpha), was high (alpha = 0.97) showing the tool to be reliable and effective in assessment of symptom distress. Of the 120 patients included 73% indicated significant distress from at least one symptom, 55% from two or more and 28% from at least five. Only 25% were suffering widespread or advanced disease suggesting that the incidence of symptom distress is not, of necessity, dependent on the extent of disease. The results obtained using the modified index were compared with those previously obtained by McCorkle and Young (1978) and showed marked similarities between the different cancer patient populations. This indicates that the modified scale is no less effective in assessing symptom distress but this has considerable advantages due to its simplicity and ease of administration.