Related Experiment Videos
Validity of the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist in paediatric oncology
C Eiser1, T Havermans, A Craft
1Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, United Kingdom.
Insights
The Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSC) shows potential for assessing physical symptoms in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. However, its psychological symptom subscale requires further validation for pediatric use.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Clinical Psychology
- Health Outcomes Measurement
Background:
- The Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSC) is a tool for assessing patient symptoms.
- Its validity in pediatric populations, particularly those with chronic conditions like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), is not well-established.
- Assessing symptom burden in children with ALL is crucial for monitoring treatment effects and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the validity of the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSC) for use in pediatric patients diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
- To determine if the RSC can differentiate between children based on treatment status and hospitalization history.
- To identify limitations of the RSC for assessing symptomology in children.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 47 mothers of children with ALL completed the RSC, the Play Performance Scale for Children (PPSC), and a measure of daily activity (HDI).
- Questionnaires were administered during routine outpatient visits.
- Statistical analyses were performed to assess the relationship between RSC scores, child age, treatment status, and hospitalizations.
Main Results:
- No significant effect of child age on the number of reported symptoms was observed.
- The physical symptom subscale of the RSC effectively distinguished between children based on their treatment status and number of hospitalizations.
- The psychological symptom subscale of the RSC did not differentiate between these pediatric groups.
Conclusions:
- The RSC's physical symptom subscale demonstrates potential utility in pediatric ALL patients.
- The psychological symptom subscale of the RSC has limitations for assessing children, potentially due to reporting difficulties by parents and the scale's adult-centric design.
- While the RSC can be used cautiously in pediatric settings, the development of more developmentally appropriate measures is recommended.
Abstract:
In order to determine the validity of the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSC) for use with paediatric patients, a sample of 47 mothers with a child with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) was asked to complete the RSC, the Play Performance Scale for Children PPSC and a measure of daily activity (HDI: Questionnaires were completed during routine outpatient visits. There were no effects of child age on number of symptoms reported. The physical symptom subscale of the RSC distinguished between children in terms of treatment status and number of hospitalisations. However, the psychological symptom subscale did not distinguish between these groups. Limitations of the scale for work with children are considered. These include difficulties experienced by patents in reporting psychological symptoms for their children, and the inappropriateness of a scale developed for adults to assess children. In the absence of other measures, the RSC can be used for children, but a more developmentally appropriate measures is needed.