Alberta CancerBridges development of a care plan evaluation measure

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Services Research
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Standardized measures for evaluating cancer survivors' and healthcare providers' experiences with Survivor Care Plans (SCPs) are lacking.
• This study aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate two new measures: the Care Plan Evaluation-Survivor (CPE-S) and Care Plan Evaluation-Provider (CPE-P).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and examine the initial psychometric qualities of the CPE-S and CPE-P in Alberta, Canada.
• To assess the generalizability of these measures in Manitoba, Canada.

Main Methods:

• Developed initial CPE-S and CPE-P measures using convenience samples of breast and head and neck cancer survivors who received SCPs.
• Assessed SCP concordance with Institute of Medicine recommendations and examined psychometric qualities in Alberta.
• Evaluated generalizability using a sample of colorectal cancer survivors in Manitoba.

Main Results:

• Revised scales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, with total scores potentially being the most reliable and valid.
• Initial discriminant, convergent, and predictive validity for CPE-S were established.
• Psychometric evaluation in Manitoba indicated good generalizability across different tumor types, SCPs, and locations.

Conclusions:

• The revised CPE-S and CPE-P are recommended for further use and development.
• Further development of patient experience measures is crucial for enhancing clinical practice and refining research questions in cancer survivorship care.