title: Development of a quality of life instrument for children with advanced cancer: the pediatric advanced care quality of life scale (PAC-QoL).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is currently no published, validated measures available that comprehensively capture quality of life (QoL) symptoms for children with poor-prognosis malignancies. The pediatric advanced care-quality of life scale (PAC-QoL) has been developed to address this gap. The current paper describes the first two phases in the development of this measure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The first two phases included: (1) construct and item generation, and (2) preliminary content validation. Domains of QoL relevant to this population were identified from the literature and items generated to capture each; items were then adapted to create versions sensitive to age/developmental differences. Two types of experts reviewed the draft PAC-QoL and rated items for relevance, understandability, and sensitivity of wording: bereaved parents (n = 8) and health care professionals (HCP; n = 7). Content validity was calculated using the index of content validity (CVI [Lynn. Nurs Res 1986;35:382-385]).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and forty-one candidate items congruent with the domains identified as relevant to children with advanced malignancies were generated, and four report versions with a 5-choice response scale created. Parent mean scores for importance, understandability, and sensitivity of wording ranged from 4.29 (SD = 0.52) to 4.66 (SD = 0.50). The CVI ranged from 95% to 100%. These steps resulted in reductions of the PAC-QoL to 57-65 items, as well as a modification of the response scale to a 4-choice option with new anchors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The next phase of this study will be to conduct cognitive probing with the intended population to further modify and reduce candidate items prior to psychometric evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cataudella
authors.forename: Tara Elise
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nesin
authors.forename: Conrad V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Donna Lynn
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Shayna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zelcer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: measure; oncology; palliative; pediatric; quality of life