Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31096957›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2019

Longitudinal evaluation of Supportive care Prioritization, Assessment and Recommendations for Kids (SPARK), a symptom screening and management application.

Emily Vettese, Sadie Cook, Dilip Soman, Susan Kuczynski, Brenda Spiegler, Hailey Davis, Nathan Duong, Tal Schechter, L Lee Dupuis, Lillian Sung

Abstract 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 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

11 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Scaling up symptom screening for routine use in pediatric oncology: provincial implementation.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Patient-Reported Outcomes in Pediatric Patients With Cancer.American Society of Clinical Oncology educational book. American Society of Clinical Oncology. Annual Meeting · 2023
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. 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

10 authors.

Emily VetteseProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Sadie CookProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Dilip SomanRotman School of Management, University of Toronto, 105 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E6, Canada.
Susan KuczynskiOntario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer (OPACC), 99 Citation Drive, Toronto, ON, M2K 1S9, Canada.
Brenda SpieglerDepartment of Psychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Hailey DavisProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Nathan DuongProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Tal SchechterDivision of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
L Lee DupuisDepartment of Pharmacy, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Lillian SungDivision of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. lillian.sung@sickkids.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0951-3091

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSupportive care Prioritization, Assessment and Recommendations for Kids (SPARK) is a web application focused on improving symptom control. It enables pediatric cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients to self-report and track symptoms, and allows healthcare professionals to access guidelines for symptom management. Objective was to determine the feasibility of longitudinal collection of symptom data.

methodsIn this longitudinal, single-armed feasibility study, respondents were children 8-18 years of age with cancer or pediatric HSCT recipients. Participants completed symptom reporting daily for 5 days. Cognitive interviews were conducted on day 5. Quantitative evaluation included SPARK ease of use and understandability of SPARK reports. Qualitative feedback on facilitators and barriers to daily symptom screening was solicited. Feasibility was defined as ≥75% of participants completing symptom screening on at least 60% of on-study days during the five-day study.

resultsAmong the 30 children enrolled, the median number of days SSPedi was completed at least once was 5 (range 3 to 5). Overall, 28/29 (96.6%) thought completing symptom screening using SPARK was easy or very easy. All participants understood SPARK symptom reports. Severe symptoms was the most common barrier to daily reporting while an alarm reminder system was the most commonly identified facilitator.

conclusionsDaily completion of symptom screening using SPARK over 5 days was feasible in children aged 8 to 18 years with cancer and pediatric HSCT recipients. SPARK is now appropriate for use in randomized trials to evaluate the effect of symptom screening and symptom feedback.

Indexed as

Hematopoietic Stem Cell TransplantationSoftwareSymptom AssessmentAdolescentChildDelivery of Health CareFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansInternetLongitudinal StudiesMaleNeoplasmsOncologyPatient reported outcomesPediatric cancerSelf-reportSupportive careSymptom screening

Identifiers

PMID31096957
PMCPMC6521508

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.