Psychometric Properties of the Icelandic Version of the Revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale

Context. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) is a symptom assessment tool commonly used in both research and clinical practice. A revised version of the tool (ESAS-r) was published in 2011. Objectives. To evaluate the psychometric properties and feasibility of the Icelandic version of ESAS-r. Methods. The study was cross-sectional, and 359 cancer patients were screened for participation at inpatient and outpatient settings. The ESAS-r, M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), demographic and feasibility questions were completed by 143 patients. The psychometric properties assessed for ESAS-r were internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) and concurrent validity (Pearson correlation). Results. Reliability analysis of the ESAS-r showed good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.85). Validity analysis showed significant moderate-to-strong correlations between seven matching symptom scores on the ESAS-r and MDASI, ranging from r = 0.64-0.86. The majority of patients rated both tools easy to understand, but on the whole, significantly more patients found ESAS-r easier to complete and preferred its use over the MDASI. Conclusion. The Icelandic version of ESAS-r is a valid and reliable tool for symptom screening in Icelandic cancer patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. (C) 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.