Impact of recall period on primary brain tumor patient's self-report of symptoms

Abstract

Background. Understanding the severity of symptoms is an integral part of patient care. The MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Brain Tumor (MDASI-BT) was developed using a 24-hour recall period. The choice of recall period is dependent on the treatment and disease of interest. The aim of this study was to evaluate the congruence and equivalency of 24-hour and 7-day symptom reporting using the MDASI-BT. Method. Adult brain tumor patients completed the MDASI-BT using 24-hour and 7-day recall periods and a tablet format. Equivalence and congruence were determined using equivalency testing and Bland-Altman analysis. Reliability and known group's validity were then assessed by use of Cronbach's alpha and evaluating differences based on performance status. Results. One hundred patients (mean age, 48 y; range 19 y-77 y), who were primarily white (86%) males (62%) with a variety of brain tumors, most commonly glioblastoma (69%), participated. KPS scores ranged from 50%-100%, with 28% of participants scoring 80% or lower. Overall severity reporting using the 7-day recall was congruent and equivalent with the 24-hour rating, with difference scores of one point or less on the overall instrument and individual symptoms. The 7-day recall period instrument demonstrated psychometric properties similar to the established 24-hour recall instrument. Conclusion. This study supports the use of the 7-day recall period in addition to the 24-hour recall period for symptom reports of patients with primary brain tumors. Future studies should continue to explore the reliability and validity of this recall period and its utility in other central nervous system tumor populations.