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Supporting data driven translational patient-centered care using network analysis to visualize symptom distress in
Shannon Ford1, Jacqueline Vaughn1, Arvind Subramaniam2
1School of Nursing, College of Health and Human Services, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA.
Insights
Network analysis effectively identified symptom and mood distress in children undergoing blood and marrow transplant (BMT). This highlights the importance of early assessment and intervention for improving patient well-being.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Psychosocial Oncology
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Children undergoing blood and marrow transplant (BMT) face significant symptom distress.
- Improving children's ability to communicate their symptom experience is crucial for better care.
- Network analysis (NA) offers a novel approach to understanding complex symptom relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a biopsychosocial assessment tool using network analysis for pediatric BMT patients.
- To examine the relationships between various symptoms and mood states in children undergoing BMT.
- To identify actionable insights for clinical interventions aimed at improving mood and overall outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study utilized a mobile application for daily recording of 15 biopsychosocial symptom distress levels and 5 mood assessments.
- Four pediatric patients (11-14 years old) undergoing BMT participated during hospitalization.
- Network analysis was employed to explore the associations between reported symptom distress and mood.
Main Results:
- A strong correlation between emotional distress, symptom distress, and mood was observed.
- Specific symptom associations were identified, such as difficulty breathing and fever (0.557), and sadness and worry (0.429).
- Pain distress emerged as a significant bridging symptom, directly connected to numerous other symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Patient struggles with emotional and symptom distress are significant and impact clinical outcomes.
- The study provides valuable insights into children's symptom experiences during BMT.
- Findings support early assessment, intervention, and enhanced communication to improve well-being and the care experience.
Purpose:
There are an increasing number of techniques and tools to improve the capacity for children to relay their perceptions of their symptom experience while undergoing blood and marrow transplant (BMT). Network analysis (NA) is a tool that can illustrate associations between symptoms and the distress they cause. We aimed to develop a biopsychosocial assessment clinical analytic tool to examine symptom relationships for children undergoing BMT to find actionable relationships for intervention to improve clinical outcomes including mood.
Design And Methods:
This pilot study used an analytical mobile application tool to support a wide scope of 15 biopsychosocial symptom distress levels and five mood assessments. Children recorded their symptom distress and mood using the app. NA was used to explore relationships between symptom distress and mood.
Results:
Four children, 11-14 years old, undergoing BMT used the app daily during hospitalization. We found a strong presence of emotional distress and its associations symptom distress and mood. Multiple symptom associations were identified including associations between the set of symptoms difficulty breathing and fever (0.557), sad and worried (0.429). Of note, pain distress had a strong capacity to bridge other symptoms and was connected directly to many symptoms.
Practice Implications:
We found the significance of patient struggles with emotional and symptom distress and the importance of this relationship to other clinical outcomes. This provides valuable insights and an improved understanding of the child's symptoms. Our findings support early assessment, intervention, and improved symptom communication to enhance sense of well-being and the child's care experience.
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