Background/purpose: Selected chemotherapeutic agents used for the treatment of cancer are known to cause skin toxicities. One group of agents, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, characteristically precipitates an acneform rash. Currently, no standard of care exists for the management of the rash resulting from EGFR inhibitors. In order to objectively evaluate any management strategy, a method to quantify the rash is required. The purpose of this paper is to describe a method to quantify the erythema of a facial rash through the use of digital photography and image analysis. Methods: A Canfield OMNIA System using a Canon PowerShot Pro1 camera was used to obtain high‐resolution digital images of facial rashes. Digital images were recorded in Joint Photographic Experts Group format, corrected for brightness and white balance and color. A method was developed to analyze digital images of erythema independent of the range of skin pigmentation. Results: Two examples are given to illustrate the method developed and its utility. Conclusion: An inexpensive and portable method is described for objectively monitoring the development of facial erythema in subjects of the full range of skin pigmentation. This method can be used clinically to examine the development and resolution of facial rash erythema in response to treatment.
In Brief In one institution's effort to develop nursing staff to use evidence in practice, formation of the Evidence-Based Practice Council was instrumental. This Evidence-Based Practice Council developed its members to support the development of others. Programming strategies included keynote speakers during Nurses Day followed by breakout sessions and programs throughout the year. Traditional means to communicate information as well as the development of an internal Web site were used. In this contact hour feature, the authors describe how a patient education committee developed patient education materials that a patient panel then tested and approved.
The intensifying crisis of the nursing shortage and the exploration of viable options have resulted in the implementation of a nursing cooperative partnership. This highly competitive and innovative program has been the most successful recruitment plan for the hospital, attracting the brightest students from the nursing college.
Background: Cancer treatment-related fatigue (CRF) is a common side effect of cancer treatment. A problem identified in most reviews of CRF is lack of sound approaches to measurement that are congruent with the conceptualization of CRF as a self-perceived state. The diversity of instruments available to measure fatigue and the lack of comprehensive testing of several promising instruments with cancer patients undergoing treatment provided the rationale for this study. The purpose of this article is to report the results of psychometric testing of several fatigue instruments in patients undergoing cancer treatment. Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of each instrument and to determine the ability of each instrument to capture CRF. Methods: Existing fatigue instruments with published psychometric information that indicated suitability for further testing were selected and included the Profile of Mood States Short Form fatigue subscale (F_POMS-sf), Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF), Lee Fatigue Scale (LFS), and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI). Data were collected at a university-based clinical cancer center and a freestanding comprehensive cancer center. Subjects completed all study instruments, which were presented in random order, at a time when CRF was expected to be high and again when it was expected to be low. A subset of subjects completed the instruments within 48 hours of one of the data collection points when CRF was expected to be relatively unchanged to provide stability data. Results: Reliability estimates using Cronbach's alpha indicated that all instruments examined had good internal consistency. Test-retest correlations showed good stability for total scores on all the instruments, but some subscales of the LFS and MFI had marginal stability. Factor analysis of all instruments indicated that only the LFS and the F_POMS-sf fully supported their construct validity. All of the instruments showed responsiveness to changes in CRF related to treatment. Conclusions: The results of the study provide researchers and clinicians with detailed comparisons of the performance of established fatigue measures in cancer patients undergoing treatment to use when selecting measures of CRF.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties of instruments used to measure diabetes self-management (DSM) that were modified and translated into Chinese. Method: A convenience sample of 30 people with type 2 diabetes in Beijing, China, completed a questionnaire consisting of six instruments that had been translated and modified for use with a Chinese population. The reliability and validity were examined. Results: The Cronbach's alpha for the six instruments varied from .62 to .87. Factors analysis was performed, with variances explained by factors ranging from 61.6% to 97.9%. Conclusions: The findings of the psychometric testing of the modified and translated instruments support the use of these tools to assess DSM and its influencing factors in Chinese people with type 2 diabetes.
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