Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System: Translation and Linguistic Validation of Six Profile Domains for Korean Adults

Evaluating the effect of a mobile-based symptom monitoring system for improving physical function in patients with cancer during chemotherapy: study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Symptoms due to chemotherapy are common in patients with cancer. Cancer-related symptoms are closely associated with the deterioration of physical function which can be associated with decreased quality of life and increased mortality. Thus, timely symptom identification is critical for improving cancer prognosis and survival. Recently, remote symptom monitoring system using digital technology has demonstrated its effects on symptom control or survival. However, few studies examined whether remote monitoring would contribute to retaining physical function among patients with cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile-based symptom monitoring in improving physical function among patients with cancer under chemotherapy.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study is a multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial. We will recruit 372 patients at three tertiary hospitals located in Seoul, South Korea. Study participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving the ePRO-CTCAE app and a control group receiving routine clinical practice only. The primary outcome is changes in physical function from commencement to completion of planned chemotherapy. A linear mixed model will be performed under the intention-to-treat principle. The secondary outcomes include physical activity level; changes in pain interference; changes in depressive symptom; unplanned clinical visits; additional medical expenditure for symptom management; completion rate of planned chemotherapy; changes in symptom burden and health-related quality of life; and 1-year overall mortality.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study has been approved by the institutional review board and ethics committee at the three university hospitals involved in this trial. Written informed consent will be obtained from all the participants. The results of the trial will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals and disseminated through relevant literatures.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

KCT0007220.

The patient-reported outcomes measurement information systems (PROMIS®) physical function and its derivative measures in adults: a systematic review of content validity

PURPOSE

This study aims to systematically review and critically appraise the content validity of the adult versions of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function (PROMIS-PF) item bank and its derivative measures in any adult population.

METHODS

MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched in October 2021 for studies on measurement properties of PROMIS-PF measures in an adult population. Studies were included if the study described the development of a PROMIS-PF measure or investigated its relevance, comprehensiveness, or comprehensibility. Assessment of the methodological quality of eligible studies, rating of results, and summarizing evidence was performed following the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) methodology for assessing content validity. A modified GRADE approach was used to determine the level of evidence.

RESULTS

Three development studies and eight studies on the content validity of one or more of the PROMIS-PF measures were identified. The methodological quality of most studies was rated doubtful. There was low to high level evidence for sufficient relevance, comprehensiveness, and comprehensibility of most PROMIS-PF measures for healthy seniors and various disease populations. We found low to moderate level evidence for insufficient relevance of PROMIS-PF measures for patients with conditions that affected only one body part, and insufficient comprehensibility of the PROMIS-PF measures for minority elderly.

CONCLUSION

Most PROMIS-PF measures demonstrate sufficient content validity in healthy seniors and various disease populations. However, the quality of this evidence is generally low to moderate, due to limitations in the methodological quality of the studies.