Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35787263›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2022

Reliability and validity of proxy-SSPedi and mini-SSPedi in pediatric patients 2-7 years receiving cancer treatments.

Deborah Tomlinson, L Lee Dupuis, Donna L Johnston, Susan Kuczynski, Serina Patel, Tal Schechter, Emily Vettese, Mark Mairs, George A Tomlinson, Lillian Sung

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

Article in BMC cancer, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
4.9field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. 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
  2. Review
  3. Language understanding and preferences when reporting symptoms for pediatric patients receiving cancer treatments and their guardians.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  4. 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. Pain Assessment Tools for Infants, Children, and Adolescents With Cancer: A Scoping Review.Pediatrics international : official journal of the Japan Pediatric Society
    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 at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Deborah TomlinsonProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
L Lee DupuisProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Donna L JohnstonDivision of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L1, Canada.
Susan KuczynskiOntario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer (OPACC), 99 Citation Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M2K 1S9, Canada.
Serina PatelDivision of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6A 5W9, Canada.
Tal SchechterDivision of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Emily VetteseProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Mark MairsProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.
George A TomlinsonDepartment of Medicine, Toronto General Hospital, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada.
Lillian SungProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada. lillian.sung@sickkids.ca.
Hospital for Sick Children · CAChildren's Hospital of Eastern Ontario · CALondon Health Sciences Centre · CASickKids Foundation · CAToronto General Hospital · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSymptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi) was developed for symptom screening by children 8-18 years. Objectives were to evaluate the reliability and validity of proxy-SSPedi and self-report mini-SSPedi for younger children.

methodsThis multi-center study enrolled guardians of children 2-7 years receiving cancer treatments (proxy-SSPedi) and their children 4-7 years (mini-SSPedi). The two populations were: (1) More symptomatic group where children were receiving active cancer treatment and were in hospital or clinic for four consecutive days; and (2) Less symptomatic group where children were receiving maintenance therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia or had completed cancer therapy. Proxy-SSPedi or mini-SSPedi were completed with measures of mucositis, nausea, pain, quality of life and overall symptoms. Respondents in the more symptomatic group repeated proxy-SSPedi/mini-SSPedi and a global symptom change scale 3 days later.

resultsThere were 402 guardians and 326 children included in the analysis. Test re-test reliability of proxy-SSPedi showed intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.83 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-0.90). Mean difference in proxy-SSPedi between more and less symptomatic groups was 9.7 (95% CI 8.3-11.1). Proxy-SSPedi was responsive to change and hypothesized relationships between measures were observed. With a priori threshold ≥0.6, inter-rater ICC among all dyads and those 6-7 years were 0.54 (95% CI 0.45-0.62) and 0.62 (95% CI 0.50-0.71) respectively. Among participating children, other hypothesized reliability and validity thresholds were generally met.

conclusionsProxy-SSPedi is reliable, valid and responsive in children 2-7 years old receiving cancer treatments. Mini-SSPedi can be used for children 6-7 years of age.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsPediatricsAdvance DirectivesAmbulatory Care FacilitiesChildChild, PreschoolHumansQuality of LifeReproducibility of ResultsChildrenHematopoietic stem cell transplantationOncologyProxyReliabilityResponsivenessSymptom screeningValidity

Identifiers

PMID35787263
PMCPMC9254487
OpenAlexW4283797324

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.