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Open Access 01-12-2009 | Research

Reliability and validity of a new scale on internal coherence (ICS) of cancer patients

Authors: Matthias Kröz, Arndt Büssing, Hans Broder von Laue, Marcus Reif, Gene Feder, Friedemann Schad, Matthias Girke, Harald Matthes

Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Issue 1/2009

Abstract

Background

Current inventories on quality of life used in oncology mainly focus on functional aspects of patients in the context of disease adaption and treatments (side) effects (EORTC QLQ C30) or generically the status of common functions (Medical Outcome Study SF 36). Beyond circumscribed dimensions of quality of life (i.e., physical, emotional, social, cognitive etc.), there is a lack of inventories which also address other relevant dimensions such as the 'sense of coherence' (SOC) in cancer patients. SOC is important because of its potential prognostic relevance in cancer patients, but the current SOC scale has mainly been validated for psychiatric and psychosomatic patients. Our two-step validation study addresses the internal coherence (ICS) scale, which is based on expert rating, using specific items for oncological patients, with respect to its reliability, validity and sensitivity to chemotherapy.

Methods

The items were tested on 114 participants (57 cancer patients and a matched control group), alongside questions on autonomic regulation (aR), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), self-regulation (SRQ) and Karnofsky the Performance-Index (KPI). A retest of 65 participants was carried out after a median time span of four weeks.

In the second part of the study, the ICS was used to assess internal coherence during chemotherapy in 25 patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and 17 breast cancer patients. ICS was recorded before, during and 4 – 8 weeks after treatment.

Results

The 10-item scale of 'internal coherence' (ICS) shows good to very good reliability: Cronbach-α r = 0.91, retest-reliability r = 0.80. The ICS correlates with r = 0.43 – 0.72 to the convergence criteria (all p < 0.001). We are able to show decreased ICS-values after the third cycle for CRC and breast cancer patients, with a subsequent increase of ICS scores after the end of chemotherapy.

Conclusion

The ICS has good to very good reliability, validity and sensitivity to chemotherapy.

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Title: Reliability and validity of a new scale on internal coherence (ICS) of cancer patients
Authors: Matthias Kröz
Arndt Büssing
Hans Broder von Laue
Marcus Reif
Gene Feder
Friedemann Schad
Matthias Girke
Harald Matthes
Publication date: 01-12-2009
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes / Issue 1/2009
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7525
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-7-59

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Reliability and validity of a new scale on internal coherence (ICS) of cancer patients

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

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