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Malignancy-and cancer-related treatments lead to multiple symptoms. Although treatments focus on cure, few research studies have examined the symptoms that accompany these aggressive and complicated treatments. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the symptoms experienced by children at home. Children (n = 25) and adolescents (n = 33) diagnosed with cancer completed the Memorial Symptoms Assessment Scale during the 5 days at home after discharge from the hospital. The most frequent physical

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An exploratory study was conducted to examine quality of life and pain experienced by pediatric cancer patients at home following discharge. Physical, cognitive, social, and emotional aspects of quality of life were measured, and how these may be affected by age, gender, diagnosis, and pain status. We also characterized intensity, location, and quality of pain experienced. A sample of 33 patients participating in a larger study was selected based on having pain on day of discharge, and having completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Generic, Cancer Module, Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, and the Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool at home. Cancer diagnoses were leukemias/lymphomas (42.4%), brain/CNS tumors (27.3%), sarcomas (24.2%), or other (6.1%). More than half of patients reported pain (n=17; 51.5%). Patients with pain had more fatigue affecting quality of life (p=0.01), and lower physical and emotional functioning, leading to lower overall HRQOL scores (p=0.011). Females and adolescents reported worse emotional functioning (p=0.02 and p=0.05, respectively). Physical, cognitive, and social functioning was lowest among patients diagnosed with sarcomas (p=0.00, p=0.01, and p=0.04, respectively). It is important to understand the symptom experience of patients at home as a first step in moving towards optimal discharge teaching and treatment.

Background: Early sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosis facilitates prompt treatment initiation and contributes to reduced transmission. This study examined the extent to which contextual characteristics such as proximity to screening site, rurality, and neighborhood disadvantage along with demographic variables, may influence treatment seeking behavior among individuals with STIs (i.e., chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis). Methods: Data on 16,075 diagnosed cases of STIs between 2007 and 2018 in Yakima County were obtained from the Washington State Department of Health Database Surveillance System. Multilevel models were applied to explore the associations between contextual and demographic characteristics and two outcomes: (a) not receiving treatment and (b) the number of days to receiving treatment. Results: Contextual risk factors for not receiving treatment or having increased number of days to treatment were living ≥10 miles from the screening site and living in micropolitan, small towns, or rural areas. Older age was a protective factor and being female was a risk for both outcomes. Conclusions: Healthcare providers and facilities should be made aware of demographic and contextual characteristics that can impact treatment seeking behavior among individuals with STIs, especially among youth, females, and rural residents.