Translating the Symptom Screening in Paediatrics Tool (SSPedi) into North American Spanish and Among Spanish-speaking children receiving cancer treatments: evaluating understandability and cultural relevance in a multiple-phase descriptive study

A Person-Centered Approach to Symptom Assessment and Management for Children and Adolescents Receiving Cancer Treatment

OBJECTIVES

Discuss the clinical assessment and management of symptoms for children and adolescents receiving treatment for cancer with attention to a person-centered approach to care.

DATA SOURCES

Review of currently published literature and guidelines pertaining to symptom assessment and management for children and adolescents receiving treatment for cancer.

CONCLUSION

Symptoms such as pain, nausea, and fatigue are commonly reported by children and adolescents receiving cancer treatment and are associated with greater symptom burden. Symptom assessment should be tailored to the child or adolescent and include the child's or adolescent's preference for reporting symptoms and attention to the symptoms that are of greatest priority. Evidence-based guidelines for the management of symptoms, including pain and nausea, are available to guide symptom management interventions and should be tailored to provide person-centered care.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Nurses can lead efforts through clinical practice and research initiatives to advance person-centered symptom care for children and adolescents with cancer on a global level. Priorities for future work to advance person-centered symptom assessment and management include (1) identification of best practices for symptom assessment, (2) attention to social determinants of health and their subsequent influence on symptom outcomes, (3) compilation of evidence for management of less commonly reported symptoms, and (4) implementation of published clinical guidelines for symptom management in practice settings.

Translating the Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi) into Argentinian Spanish for paediatric patients receiving cancer treatments, and evaluating understandability and cultural relevance in a multiple-phase descriptive study

OBJECTIVES

To translate a symptom screening tool developed for paediatric patients receiving cancer therapies called Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi) into Argentinian Spanish and to evaluate the understandability and cultural relevance of the translated version of SSPedi among children with cancer and paediatric haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients.

METHODS

We conducted a multiphase, descriptive study to translate SSPedi into Argentinian Spanish. Using two translators, forward and backward translations were performed. The translated version was evaluated by Spanish-speaking paediatric patients 8-18 years of age receiving cancer treatments in two centres in Argentina and El Salvador.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was patient self-reported difficulty with understanding of the SSPedi instructions and each symptom using a 5-point Likert scale. Secondary outcomes were incorrect understanding of the SSPedi instructions, symptoms and response scale determined by cognitive interviews with the patients and rated using a 4-point Likert scale. Cultural relevance was assessed qualitatively.

RESULTS

There were 30 children enrolled and included in cognitive interviews; 16 lived in Argentina and 14 lived in El Salvador. The most common types of Spanish spoken were Central American (17, 57%) followed by South American (10, 33%) and Castilian (3, 10%). No changes to Argentinian Spanish SSPedi were required based on the outcomes or qualitative comments. No issues with cultural relevance were identified by any of the respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

We translated and finalised Argentinian Spanish SSPedi. Future research will focus on its use to describe bothersome symptoms by Argentinian Spanish-speaking children.