Trial Information

Development of a Rapid Assessment Tool for Fatigue in Palliative Care

Based on a series of qualitative studies, our group is developing a new rapid fatigue
assessment screening tool (rFAST) for use with individuals who have advanced cancer and are
receiving care in either an active treatment or palliative setting.

Hypotheses:

1. The three tools (tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion) in the rFAST are each defined by
the same six dimensions: decline in stamina, decline in cognition, decline in sleep
quality, diminished social network, and increased emotional reactivity

2. The five subscales of the tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion scales are internally
consistent.

3. Tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion are distinct states that are manifested by unique
patterns of scores on their 6 subscales

4. The mean POMS-Vsf scores of individuals who meet the definition of fatigue will be
lower than the mean POMS-Vsf scores of individuals who meet the definition of tiredness
and higher than the mean POMS-Vsf scores of individuals who meet the definition of
exhaustion.

Objectives

1. To examine the factor structure of the tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion scales of the
rFAST.

2. To examine the internal consistency of the 5 subscales within the tired, fatigue, and
exhaustion scales.

3. To compare actual rFAST scale scores to hypothesized scale profiles for tiredness,
fatigue, and exhaustion.