Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30621617›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2019

Development of mini-SSPedi for children 4-7 years of age receiving cancer treatments.

Deborah Tomlinson, Shannon Hyslop, Eliana Stein, Brenda Spiegler, Emily Vettese, Susan Kuczynski, Tal Schechter, L Lee Dupuis, Lillian Sung

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
9.1field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Observational
  4. "Reading level is just one component": best practices for cognitive debriefing patient-reported outcome instruments with pediatric populations.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Young children (6-7 years) can meaningfully participate in cognitive interviews assessing comprehensibility in health-related quality of life domains: a qualitative study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Patient-Reported Outcomes in Pediatric Patients With Cancer.American Society of Clinical Oncology educational book. American Society of Clinical Oncology. Annual Meeting · 2023
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Observational
  16. Feasibility and acceptability of a game-based symptom-reporting app for children with cancer: perspectives of children and parents.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Changes in hunger among pediatric patients with cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020
    Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Deborah TomlinsonChild Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada. deborah.tomlinson@sickkids.ca.
Shannon HyslopChild Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Eliana SteinChild Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Brenda SpieglerDepartment of Psychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Emily VetteseChild Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Susan KuczynskiOntario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer (OPACC), Toronto, Canada.
Tal SchechterDepartment of Psychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
L Lee DupuisChild Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Lillian SungChild Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0951-3091
Hospital for Sick Children · CAUniversity of Toronto · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi) is valid for assessing symptoms in children aged 8-18 years receiving cancer treatments. The objective was to develop a new self-report symptom screening tool for children receiving cancer treatments who are 4-7 years of age (mini-SSPedi), based on SSPedi.

methodsRespondents were children with cancer or pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients who were 4-7 years of age. We included the same 15 symptoms contained in SSPedi. Using cognitive interviewing, we developed mini-SSPedi in three phases and made decisions based upon respondent understanding. First, we developed questionnaire structure regarding recall period, concept of bother and response option format. Second, we determined wording of each symptom. Third, we evaluated the entire mini-SSPedi instrument for understanding and ease of completion.

resultsWe enrolled 100 participants in total and included 30, 40 and 30 in each of the three phases. Questionnaire structure was satisfactory with a recall period of "today" and a faces-based 3-point Likert scale. Bother was well-understood. Five symptoms required modification to achieve satisfactory understanding while the remaining 10 SSPedi symptoms did not require modification. Among the last 10 children enrolled, all understood each mini-SSPedi item and none thought mini-SSPedi was hard to complete.

conclusionWe developed a symptom screening tool for children with cancer and pediatric HSCT recipients between 4 and 7 years of age that is understandable and easy to complete. Future work will evaluate the psychometric properties of mini-SSPedi and develop an electronic version of the instrument.

Indexed as

ChildChild, PreschoolEarly Detection of CancerFemaleHumansMaleNeoplasmsPediatricsPsychometricsSelf ReportSurveys and QuestionnairesSymptom AssessmentCancerChildrenHematopoietic stem cell transplantationSelf-reportSymptom screening

Identifiers

PMID30621617
PMCPMC6325666
OpenAlexW2946881496

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.