Use of the Distress Thermometer in Cancer Survivors: Convergent Validity and Diagnostic Accuracy in a Spanish Sample

To explore the performance of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer (DT) as a distress screening tool in cancer survivors. 236 Spanish adult-onset cancer survivors who visited the Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología in Valencia, Spain, for follow-up appointments. Sur...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inOncology nursing forum Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 442 - 450
Main Authors Andreu Vaillo, Yolanda, Martínez Lopez, Paula, Galdón Garrido, María J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Oncology Nursing Society 01.07.2019
Subjects
Accuracy
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Anxiety
Cancer
Cancer survivors
Cancer Survivors - psychology
Clinical medicine
Female
Humans
Life insurance
Male
Measuring instruments
Medical diagnosis
Middle Aged
Nursing
Oncology
Performance evaluation
Psychometrics - standards
Quality of life
Quantitative psychology
Questionnaires
Sensitivity and Specificity
Spain
Stress, Psychological - diagnosis
Translations
Spain
Distress Thermometer
psychosocial distress
diagnostic accuracy
cancer survivors
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Summary:To explore the performance of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer (DT) as a distress screening tool in cancer survivors. 236 Spanish adult-onset cancer survivors who visited the Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología in Valencia, Spain, for follow-up appointments. Survivors completed the DT and the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18), which has established a cutoff score for identifying clinically significant distress. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the DT scores relative to the BSI-18 cutoff score showed good overall accuracy. For a score of 5 or greater, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and clinical utility indexes indicated that the DT appeared to be satisfactory for screening but had restricted use for case finding. Screening for and responding to distress is considered an important part of nursing practice. The DT is suitable for use as a first-stage, quick-detection instrument in a two-step screening process to rule out noncases among Spanish post-treatment cancer survivors.
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ISSN:0190-535X
1538-0688
DOI:10.1188/19.ONF.442-450