However, in the past ten years the focus of care has expanded to include assessment and. Using the distress thermometer and hospital anxiety and. Methods first, the original version of the dt was translated using a forward and backward translation procedure according to the guidelines. Although the validity of the distress thermometer has been supported primarily using the hads, the distress thermometer is not a diagnostic tool for depression or anxiety. Due to its high acceptance, its brevity and practice orientation, the nccn distressthermometer can be recommended as a screening tool to assess psychosocial distress in cancer patients. Sensitivity and specificity of the distress thermometer and a twoitem depression screen patient health questionnaire 2 with a help question fpr psychological distress and psychiatric morbidity in patients with advanced cancer. The nccn distressthermometer is a brief screening tool for cancer patients to assess distress. The distress thermometer dt is a single item visual analogue scale which is shaped like a thermometer, with a numerical scale between 0 to 10, with 0 indicating no distress and 10 indicating extreme distress. The dt is reportedly a brief, noninvasive, valid and acceptable alternative to longer psychometric instruments.
Oct 16, 2014 patients with a cancer diagnosis experience complex issues that can cause distress. Purpose this study aims to translate the distress thermometer dt into indonesian, test its validity in indonesian women with breast cancer and determine norm scores of the indonesian dt for clinically relevant distress. What to do about cancerrelated distress university of. Jan 31, 2011 in an effort to address barriers to distress screening, the national comprehensive cancer network nccn recommends the distress thermometer dt, a singleitem selfreport measure of distress. The dts recommended cutoff score of 4 or 5 has typically been established using the hospital anxiety and depression scale hads by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The distress thermometer is a modified visual analogue scale that resembles a thermometer.
The purpose of the project was to implement distress screening with. In an effort to address barriers to distress screening, the national comprehensive cancer network nccn recommends the distress thermometer dt, a singleitem selfreport measure of distress. Predictive value of the distress thermometer as a predictive. The distress thermometer has been tested in many studies and found to work well. Due to its high acceptance, its brevity and practice orientation, the nccn distress thermometer can be recommended as a screening tool to assess psychosocial distress in cancer patients. Jacobsen and margaret boothjones university of south florida, usa summary the distress thermometer dt is a oneitem screening measure of psychological distress in cancer patients. If you have lung cancer or mesothelioma, please call either johanna lynch or lucy pike on. The distress thermometer dt is a simple and valid tool that should become the standard of care in the outpatient cancer setting to help clinicians better identify psychosocial distress at an early stage. Jacobsen, phd, a and sean ransom, phd, b tampa, florida, and laie, hawaii it causes, heightened distress has been shown to be associated with poorer adherence to treatment recommendations, 4 poorer satisfaction with care, 5 and poorer quality. The distress thermometer is a simple checklist assessment technique used in cancer care and other area of physical health. Use of distress thermometers in an outpatient oncology. It is a rapidscreening measure with a 010 visual analogue scale, in the form of a thermometer labeled with no distress at 0, moderate distress.
Nccn distress thermometer and problem list for patients. Distress thermometer assesses psychosocial distress. It can include feelings of unease, sadness, worry, anger, helplessness, guilt, and so forth. Analysis of the distress thermometers psychometric properties and applicability to subgroups traditional cancer care has focused on assessing and treating cancer and its physical effects. The nccn distress thermometer is a brief screening tool for cancer patients to assess distress. Comparing the distress thermometer dt with the patient health questionnaire phq2 for screening for possible cases of depression among patients newly diagnosed with advanced cancer. The purpose of this study is to identify factors associated with overall distress for a diverse population of cancer survivors. The resulting measure, the nccn distress thermometer dt, was developed to provide a rapid identification of patients who were experiencing significant levels of diseaserelated distress.
Representatives from social work, psychology, nursing, psychiatry, clergy, patient advocacy, and medical oncology were included on this panel. Everyone with cancer feels some distress, and about half of patients with cancer will experience a significant level of distress at some point. It is a rapidscreening measure with a 010 visual analogue scale, in the form of a thermometer labeled with no distress at 0, moderate distress at the midpoint, and extreme distress at 10. Implementation of nccn distress management guidelines by.
Patient distress thermometer and problem list openi. Empirische prufung eines screeninginstruments zur erfassung psychosozialer belastung bei krebspatienten. Distress thermometer intervention trial full text view. Full text validation of the distress thermometer for use. However, the validity of the dt in men with prostate cancer and over differing time points from diagnosis has not been well examined. Download the nccn distress thermometer 296kb pdf from. Sep 12, 20 the distress thermometer dt is widely recommended for screening for distress after cancer. It also contains an accompanying list of 34 problems grouped into five categories practical, family, emotional, spiritualreligious and physical. Use of the distress thermometer in a cancer helpline context. The distress thermometer please circle or pick a number 010 from the drop down box that best describes how much distress you have been experiencing in the past week including today. Implementation of nccn distress management guidelines by member institutions paul b.
Mental health professionals sum up troubles like these with one word. The specifity of the instrument is lower as the values for specifity found in international studies, but the sensitivity is little higher in the german sample. Distress is an unpleasant experience of a mental, physical, social, or spiritual nature. The instrument is a selfreported tool using a 0to10 rating scale. The distress thermometer dt was developed as a simple tool to effectively screen for symptoms of distress. Extreme distress no distress 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 nccn distress thermometer for patients help for distress distress is an unpleasant emotional state that may affect how you feel, think, and act. The validity of the distress thermometer in prostate cancer. Ebscohost serves thousands of libraries with premium essays, articles and other content including the distress thermometer in spanish cancer patients. Patients are asked to circle the number that best describes their level of distress over the last week. It ranges from 0 no distress to 10 extreme distress. It has been developed by the national comprehensive cancer network nccn in the us. It has a scale on which you circle your level of distress. The distress thermometer and problem checklist are efficient assessment tools that can be incorporated into normal practice.
Taste changesweeks, if 0 is no distress and 10 is sores painful mouthhigh levels of any other factors the distress thermometer this screening tool is aimed at encouraging you and professionals to explore current problems and issues that may be affecting your physical, psychological, social and spiritual wellbeing. Early evaluation and screening for distress leads to early and timely management of psychological distress, which in turn improves medical management. Researchers conducted a secondary data analysis of distress ratings n 1205 for people receiving outpatient care at a midwestern us cancer center from 2005 to 2009 to describe the. This work reports on the psychometric properties of a new measure designed to screen for distress in large populations of cancer patients. Routinely administered distress screening tools can be effective in identifying individuals in need of referral to psychosocial services. It consists of a scale from 010 and a problem list which provides information to which health care professionals a patient should be referred. The distress thermometer in spanish cancer patients. Using a visual distress thermometer see the collection methods section below for an example, ask the person to indicate the level of distress that they have experienced in the past week on a scale from 010, where 0 indicates no distress and 10 indicates extreme distress. The nccn clinical practice guidelines nccn guidelines are a statement of evidence and consensus of the authors regarding their views of currently accepted approaches to treatment. All ther mometer readings were categorized as being in one of two groups. Using rasch analysis to examine the distress thermometers. It offers patients a list of common treatmentrelated difficulties to help them identify any problems that cause distress. The distress thermometer is a tool that you can use to talk to your doctors about your distress.
The distress thermometer dt is widely recommended for screening for distress after cancer. Psychological comorbidity and healthrelated quality of life and its association with awareness, utilization, and need for psychosocial support in a cancer. Having trouble concentrating, sleeping or completing everyday tasks. The distress thermometer and problem checklist are widely used screening tools that have been validated among some cancer populations, but which have not to date been validated for use among ayas with cancer. Distress may make it harder to cope with having cancer, its symptoms, or its treatment. It also asks about the parts of life in which you are having problems. Additionally, the patient is prompted to identify sources of distress using a problem list. Validation of the distress thermometer for use among adolescents and young adults with cancer in australia. The distress thermometer and problem checklist are efficient.
Practice change through guideline implementation at a glance oncology nurses do not consistently use a standard when assessing for psychosocial issues in patients with cancer. Comparing the distress thermometer dt with the patient. Patients with a cancer diagnosis experience complex issues that can cause distress. Predictive value of the distress thermometer as a predictive screening instrument to detect cancerrelated cognitive impairment in cancer patients concept the safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators.
Synonyms for distress at with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions. Distress thermometer and problem list problem list yes no. A case for making distress the sixth vital sign the psychosocial care of patients has traditionally been seen as separate from routine medical care and has been criticised as being soft and lacking evidence. Recognition of distress and psychiatric morbidity in cancer patients. Understanding that the distress thermometer is designed to screen for distress and is not a diagnostic tool is critical. Use of the distress thermometer in clinical practice jadpro. Using a visual distress thermometer see the collection methods section below for an example, ask the person to indicate the level of distress that they have experienced in the past week on a scale from 010, where 0 indicates no distress and 10 indicates extreme.
Taste changesweeks, if 0 is no distress and 10 is sores painful mouthhigh levels of any other factors the distress thermometer this screening tool is aimed at encouraging you and professionals to explore current problems and issues that may be affecting your. Evidencebased information on distress thermometer from hundreds of trustworthy sources for health and social care. Nccn distress thermometer and problem list for patients version 2. The feasibility and impact of using the distress thermometer. The distress thermometer dt is commonly used in cancer care to improve detection of distress. Callers selfrated distress was significantly lower after calling a cancer helpline. Validation of the distress thermometer for use among. An analysis of the distress thermometer problem list and. The distress thermometer is a pen and paper tool for patients to report how distressed they are about their psychosocial and physical problems. Therefore, such an instrument does not indicate whether.
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