The Spanish Adaptation of the Palliative Performance Scale (Version 2) Among Cancer Patients at the End of Life: Psychometric Properties

Reliability and validity of the Arabic translation of the palliative performance scale

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to translate the Palliative Performance Scale (PPSv2) into Arabic and to test the reliability and validity of the PPS Arabic translation (PPS-Arabic).

METHOD

The PPSv2 was translated into Modern Standard Arabic using a forward-backward method. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities were tested in a pilot study that included 20 patients. The validation study included 150 cancer patients. Patients were divided according to their treatment plan into three groups (in-remission, palliative chemotherapy, and best supportive care) to perform hypothesis-testing construct validity. Validity was further evaluated by correlating PPS-Arabic with the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scale, and Physical Functioning (PF2) and Role Functioning (RF2) scales of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30).

RESULTS

The intraclass correlation coefficients for the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were 0.935 (95% CI: 0.88-0.965; p < 0.001) and 0.965 (95% CI: 0.934-0.981; p < 0.001), respectively. The PPS-Arabic internal consistency Cronbach's alpha was 0.986. The average PPS-Arabic score differed significantly (p < 0.001) between the three groups of patients being 89 for in-remission, 58 for palliative chemotherapy, and 38 for best supportive care. The PPS-Arabic score correlated significantly (p < 0.001) with the KPS, ECOG performance scale, and the EORTC QLQ-C30 PF2 and RF2 scales.

CONCLUSION

The PPS-Arabic is a reliable and valid tool for the assessment of performance status of cancer patients.

The Turkish Validity and Reliability Study of Palliative Performance Scale

OBJECTIVE

The Palliative Performance Scale version 2 (PPSv2) is a useful tool designed to assess the performance status of palliative care patients. The aim of this study was to translate the PPSv2 into Turkish and to test the validity and reliability of Turkish PPSv2 (PPS-TR) in cancer patients receiving palliative care.

METHODS

The translation of PPSv2 into Turkish was implemented using a forward-back forward procedure. The patients were allocated from inpatient palliative care unit, consultations from oncology services, palliative care polyclinic, and consultations from emergency unit. The inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities were tested in a pilot study with 51 patients. The cross-sectional study consisted of 280 patients. The relationship between PPS-TR, Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz ADL), and Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) was also measured. Construct validity was assessed by observing the test capacity across patient groups based on the place of care.

RESULTS

Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) at Time 1 and Time 2 were 0.982 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.972-0.989) and 0.991 (95% CI: 0.986-0.995). ICCs of intra-rater agreements were at least 0.956 (95% CI: 0.909-0.977) for three raters. KPS, Katz ADL, and PPS-TR scores of outpatients were significantly higher than those of inpatients and emergency. There was a perfect correlation between PPS-TR and KPS, while the correlation of PPS-TR with Katz ADL was almost perfect.

CONCLUSIONS

The PPS-TR is a reliable and valid tool for assessment of performance status of cancer patients receiving palliative care.

Impact of the caregiver burden on the effectiveness of a home-based palliative care program: A mediation analysis

OBJECTIVE

The growing aging population and the high prevalence of several concomitant chronic diseases have contributed to the elevated rates of caregiver burden and suffering in patients. In turn, intending to relieve unnecessary pain in patients, there has been a rapid growth of outpatient palliative care programs. However, little has been studied about caregiver burden as a relevant factor potentially affecting the effectiveness of these programs. This study aimed to determine the extent of caregiver burden as a possible mediator on the effectiveness of a home-based palliative care program.

METHOD

Sixty-six palliative patients (56% women; mean age + SD = 71, 6 ± 17.7) and their caregivers were assessed with measures for physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms before and 1 month after the start of a home-based palliative care program.

RESULTS

The association between caregiver burden and palliative outcomes was corroborated with a categorical regression model (p < 0.01). Caregiver burden was found to be a significant mediator in the relationship between outcome measures for palliative care at baseline and after 1 month of enrollment in the program.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the role of caregiver burden in the effectiveness of a home-based palliative care program. Although further work is required, the results indicate that a patient-focused intervention does not have the same beneficial effect if the caregiver burden is not addressed. Future home-based palliative care programs should focus on caregivers as well as patients, with particular attention to psychosocial intervention on caregivers.

Tailoring Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Mexican Terminal Cancer Patients: A Multiple Baseline Study

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of tailored cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on depression and anxiety symptoms present in Mexican terminal cancer patients. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design was used across individuals. Nine patients participated in the study, each receiving four to six therapy sessions. The effect size of the intervention range (NAP and Tau indexes) in the nine patients indicates that CBT intervention resulted in weak to moderate impact for anxiety and depression symptoms in this population. The overall standardized mean difference is also moderate, with a reduction of 0.54 and 0.76 standard deviations in depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. This study provides initial evidence to support a positive effect from CBT on patients with terminal cancer and with mood disorders when facing their impending death.

Impact of Applying Palliative Care on Symptoms and Survival of Patients with Advanced Chronic Disease Admitted to the Emergency Department

Introduction:

In the emergency department, there is a need to provide palliative care; however, they are not usually administered. The present study evaluates the evolution of the intensity of the symptoms when applying palliative care, in adult patients with advanced chronic disease admitted to the emergency room, and compares survival between those who receive this care and those who do not.

Materials and Methods:

A clinical intervention study was conducted including patients older than 18 years with advanced chronic disease admitted to the emergency room with an indication of palliative support according to the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool 2015. Three hundred and seven patients were studied (74 in the intervention group and 233 in the group not intervened). In the intervention group, the intensity of pre- and postintervention symptoms was compared (Wilcoxon test). The survival of both the groups were then compared (logrank test).

Results:

There was a significant decrease in pain and dyspnea at 24 and 48 h postintervention (P < 0.01), respectively, while drowsiness increased significantly at 24 h (P < 0.01) but did not change at 48 h (P = 0.38). Excluding patients with better functional status, there was less survival at 3 months in the intervention group (P = 0.01).

Conclusions:

Dyspnea and pain decreased with the application of palliative care but not drowsiness. Survival in the intervention group was lower than in the nonintervention group. However, the reason for providing palliative care is to relieve suffering at the end of life.

Prevalence and characteristics of breakthrough cancer pain in an outpatient clinic in a Catalan teaching hospital: incorporation of the Edmonton Classification System for Cancer pain into the diagnostic algorithm

BACKGROUND

Breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) is defined according to its principal characteristics: high intensity, short time interval between onset and peak intensity, short duration, potential recurrence over 24 h and non-responsiveness to standard analgesic regimes. The Edmonton Classification System for Cancer Pain (ECS-CP) is a classification tool that evaluates different dimensions of pain. The aim of this study was to measure prevalence and the main characteristics of BTcP in a sample of advanced cancer patients and to explore the complexity observed when ECS-CP is incorporated into BTcP diagnostics algorithm.

METHODS

Descriptive prevalence study (Retrospective chart review). Davies' algorithm was used to identify BTcP and ECS-CP was used to recognize appropriate dimensions of pain. The study was conducted in a sample of advanced cancer patients attending hospital outpatient clinic in Lleida, Spain. 277 patients were included from 01/01/2014 to 31/12/2015. No direct contact was made with participants. The following information was extracted from the palliative care outpatient clinic database: age, gender, civil status, cognitive impairment status, functional performance status and variables related to tumour. Only BTcP cases were included.

RESULTS

Prevalence of BTcP was 39.34% (63.9% men). Mean of age was 68.2 years. Main diagnosis was lung cancer (n = 154; 31.6%). Metastases were diagnosed in 83% of the sample. 138 patients (49.8%) were diagnosed with 1 type of BTcP and 139 (50.2%) were diagnosed with more than one type of BTcP. In total, 488 different types of BTcP were recorded (mean 1.75 ± 0, 9), 244 of these types (50%) presented a component of neuropathic pain. Addictive behaviour, measured through CAGE test, was present in 29.2% (N = 81) of the patients and psychological distress was present in 40.8% (n = 113).

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence of BTcP (39.34%) is similar to the one reflected in the existing literature. Study results indicate that the routine use of ECS-CP in a clinical setting allows us to detect more than one type of BTcP as well as additional complexity associated with pain (neuropathic, addictive behavior and psychological distress).