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Assessing patient-caregiver communication in cancer—a psychometric validation of the Cancer Communication Assessment Tool (CCAT-PF) in a German sample

Haun, Markus ; Sklenarova, Halina ; Winkler, Eva ; Huber, Johannes ; Thomas, Michael ; Siminoff, Laura ; Woll, Michael ; Brechtel, Anette ; Herzog, Wolfgang ; Hartmann, Mechthild

In: Supportive Care in Cancer, 2014, vol. 22, no. 9, p. 2473-2478

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    Titre
    • Assessing patient-caregiver communication in cancer—a psychometric validation of the Cancer Communication Assessment Tool (CCAT-PF) in a German sample
    Auteur
    • Haun, Markus. Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
    • Sklenarova, Halina. Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
    • Winkler, Eva. Program for Ethics and Patient-Oriented Care, National Centre for Tumour Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
    • Huber, Johannes. Department of Urology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
    • Thomas, Michael. Department of Oncology, Thoraxklinik Heidelberg, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
    • Siminoff, Laura. Department of Social and Behavioral Health, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
    • Woll, Michael. Medical School, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
    • Brechtel, Anette. Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
    • Herzog, Wolfgang. Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
    • Hartmann, Mechthild. Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
    Type de document
    • Postprint
    Langue
    • Anglais
    Publié dans
    • Supportive Care in Cancer, 2014, vol. 22, no. 9, p. 2473-2478. Springer Berlin Heidelberg
    Autre version électronique
    Identifiant OAI-PMH
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:326352
    Summary
    Purpose: The recently introduced Cancer Communication Assessment Tool (CCAT-PF) measures congruence in patient-caregiver communication and was initially validated in lung cancer patients. Contributing to a greater proportion of the variance in the conflict scores, primary caregivers were hypothesized to experience greater stress. For a detailed understanding of conflicting communication patterns of cancer-affected families, our study aimed for psychometric validation of the CCAT-PF in a sample covering heterogeneous tumor entities. Methods: Subsequent to a cross-sectional survey of 189 pairs of cancer patients (31% gastrointestinal, 34% lung, and 35% urological) and their caregivers' exploratory factor analysis with principal component condensation and varimax rotation was conducted (response rate, 74.2%). Reliability and construct validity were assessed calculating Cronbach's α and Pearson correlation coefficients for CCAT-P and CCAT-F scales and related constructs, respectively. Results: Cancer-related communication according to the CCAT-PF can be subdivided into four factors including the scales Disclosure, Limitation of treatment, Family involvement in treatment decisions, and Continuing treatment. Reliability ranged from α = .51-.68. The Disclosure scale, describing poor cancer-related communication of the patient, was correlated with patient's distress (QSC-R10: r = .30, p < .0001), unmet needs in several areas (SCNS-SF-34: r = .25-.32, p < .001), and negatively with social/family well-being (FACT: r = −0.31, p < .0001). Higher scores on the scale were significantly associated with considerable decrements in emotional well-being especially for caregivers perceiving patients' disclosure as problematic. Conclusions: The Disclosure scale originating from the CCAT-PF emerged as a short, valid, and reliable stand-alone instrument for identifying conflicting communication in patient-caregiver-dyads at risk.