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The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form (MSAS‐SF)
Author(s) -
Chang Victor T.,
Hwang Shirley S.,
Feuerman Martin,
Kasimis Basil S.,
Thaler Howard T.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(20000901)89:5<1162::aid-cncr26>3.0.co;2-y
Subject(s) - cronbach's alpha , medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , distress , convergent validity , population , clinical psychology , sf 36 , psychometrics , correlation , psychiatry , disease , internal consistency , health related quality of life , geometry , nursing , environmental health , mathematics
BACKGROUND The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form (MSAS‐SF), an abbreviated version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, measures each of 32 symptoms with respect to distress or frequency alone. A physical symptom subscale (PHYS), psychologic symptom subscale (PSYCH), and global distress index (GDI) can be derived from the Short Form. We validated the MSAS‐SF in a population of cancer patients. METHODS Two hundred ninety‐nine cancer patients examined at the Section of Hematology/Oncology completed the MSAS‐SF and the Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy (FACT‐G). The Karnofsky performance status (KPS), extent of disease (EOD), and demographic data were assessed. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was used to assess internal reliability. MSAS‐SF subscales were assessed against subscales of the FACT‐G, the KPS, and EOD to determine criterion validity. Test–retest analysis was performed at 1 day and at 1 week. RESULTS The Cronbach alpha coefficients for the MSAS‐SF subscales ranged from 0.76 to 0.87. The MSAS‐SF subscales showed convergent validity with FACT subscales. Correlation coefficients were −0.74 ( P < 0.001) for the PHYS and FACT‐G physical well‐being subscales, −0.68 ( P < 0.001) for the PSYCH and FACT emotional well‐being subscales, and −0.70 ( P < 0.001) for GDI and FACT summary of quality‐of‐life subscales. The MSAS‐SF subscales demonstrated convergent validity with performance status, inpatient status, and extent of disease. The test–retest correlation coefficients for the MSAS‐SF subscales ranged from 0.86 to 0.94 at 1 day and from 0.40 to 0.84 for the 1 week group. CONCLUSIONS The MSAS‐SF is a valid and easy to use instrument for symptom assessment. Cancer 2000;89:1162–71. Published 2000 American Cancer Society.