The Basic Documentation for Psycho-Oncology (PO-Bado): an expert rating scale for the psychosocial experience of cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
The integration of psycho-oncology into the medical care of cancer patients requires a transparent, reliable, and valid assessment of psychosocial stress. The Basic Documentation for Psycho-Oncology (PO-Bado), including a short version and a breast cancer-specific version, is such an instrument. The purpose of this article is to present the current stage of development of the 3 versions.


METHODS
All versions of the PO-Bado were developed and psychometrically evaluated based on the empirical analysis of multiple oncological samples. External criteria for the validation and determination of cut-off scores were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Questionnaire on Stress in Cancer Patients, and the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire. Inter-rater reliability was examined by different psycho-oncologists who independently rated PO-Bado interviews.


RESULTS
Three versions of the PO-Bado are presented: the standard version (PO-Bado, 17 items), the short form (PO-Bado SF, 7 items), and the breast cancer-specific version (PO-Bado BC, 21 items). A manual and interview guideline are provided for all versions. By now, the standard version has been implemented throughout Germany and includes data of 6,365 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
A consistent nationwide implementation of the PO-Bado for the assessment of psychosocial stress in cancer patients would contribute to the improvement of medical care.
Herschbach
Peter
P
Sektion Psychosoziale Onkologie, Klinik und Poliklinik fur Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Technische Universitat Munchen, Munich, Germany. P.Herschbach@lrz.tum.de
Book
Katrin
K
Brandl
Tobias
T
Keller
Monika
M
Marten-Mittag
Birgitt
B
D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013732:Test Anxiety Scale