PERCEPTIONS OF SYMPTOM DISTRESS IN LUNG-CANCER PATIENTS .1. CONGRUENCE BETWEEN PATIENTS AND PRIMARY FAMILY CAREGIVERS

Part I of this two-part paper employs a comparative descriptive design to compare primary family caregivers' assessments of lung cancer pati ents' symptom distress with patients' own perceptions of symptom distr ess in the home setting. Part Ii describes the results of the qualitat ive component of this research. A convenience sample of 37 patients-fa mily caregiver dyads completed the McCorkle and Young Symptom Distress Scale (SDS). Family caregivers' global scores were moderately correla ted with patients' global scores (r = .071); P < 0.001). No significan t differences in ratings were found for ten of the 13 symptoms assesse d. Therefore, when the patient is unable to provide a self-report of s ymptom distress, health-care professionals may seriously consider fami ly caregivers' assessments of patients' symptom distress to be reasona ble estimates for at least ten of the 13 symptoms on the SDS. (C) U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee, 1997.