Selecting symptom instruments for cardiovascular populations

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychometrics
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Cardiac patients frequently experience symptoms such as dyspnea, chest pain, palpitations, and fatigue.
• Accurate measurement of these symptoms is crucial for effective patient management and research in cardiovascular conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To guide researchers and clinicians in choosing appropriate instruments for measuring four key symptoms in various cardiac populations.
• To review the psychometric properties and characteristics of existing symptom measurement tools.

Main Methods:

• An integrative literature review was conducted.
• 102 studies were analyzed, reporting on 36 distinct instruments for symptom measurement.
• Instruments were evaluated for their psychometric strength and defining characteristics.

Main Results:

• A wide array of instruments exist, with most measuring multiple symptoms and being disease-specific.
• The majority of instruments were multi-dimensional, assessing several aspects of the symptoms.
• While psychometrically sound instruments are available, limited evidence exists regarding their responsiveness to change over time.

Conclusions:

• Simple, psychometrically strong instruments for measuring common cardiac symptoms are available and recommended for use.
• Further research is needed to establish the responsiveness of these instruments to clinical changes in cardiac patients.