Extending Computer Technology to Hospice Research: Interactive Pentablet Measurement of Symptoms by Hospice Cancer Patients in Their Homes

Abstract

We aimed to determine the acceptability and feasibility of a pentablet-based software program, PAINReportIt Ò -Plus, as a means for patients with cancer in home hospice to report their symptoms and differences in acceptability by demographic variables. Of the 131 participants (mean age ¼ 59 AE 13, 58% women, 48.1% African American), 44% had never used a computer, but all participants easily used the computerized tool and reported an average computer acceptability score of 10.3 AE 1.8, indicating high acceptability. Participants required an average of 19.1 AE 9.5 minutes to complete the pain section, 9.8 AE 6.5 minutes for the medication section, and 4.8 AE 2.3 minutes for the symptom section. The acceptability scores were not statistically different by demographic variables but time to complete the tool differed by racial=ethnic groups. Our findings demonstrate that terminally ill patients with cancer are willing and able to utilize computer pentablet technology to record and describe their pain and other symptoms. Visibility of pain and distress is the first step necessary for the hospice team to develop a care plan for improving control of noxious symptoms.

Pain Intensity and Misconceptions Among Hospice Patients With Cancer and Their Caregivers: Status After 2 Decades

“…Hospice patients complete it in 19 minutes on average. 19 Pain intensity was measured with the PINS, which allows the patient to indicate the level of the current and least and worst pain intensity during the past 24 hours. These 3 pain intensity values are averaged to create the average pain intensity.…”

Symptom clusters in patients with cancer in the hospice/palliative care setting

“…On average, patients require 10 to 18 minutes to complete these demographic screens (24). Participants reported pain medications and dosages consumed in the past 24 hours using lists presented on the PAINReportIt ® screens.…”

“…Participants reported pain medications and dosages consumed in the past 24 hours using lists presented on the PAINReportIt ® screens. PAINReportIt ® -Plus (24) contains the SDS, and the one item from the PQSI.…”

“…Sample size and power for the study were based on detecting one or more symptom clusters to reject a hypothesis of randomness (24). A cluster analysis with a sample size of 150 participants and 13 potential symptoms achieves 85% power at 0.05 to detect one or more orthogonal symptom clusters.…”

“…We calculated SDS mean item and SDS total scale scores, a Cronbach’s alpha to determine the internal consistency of the SDS scale, and correlations between SDS items. We categorized SDS total scale scores as mild distress (13–24), moderate distress (25–32), and severe distress (33–65) (18). …”