Adaptation and Validation of the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT): A Quantitative Methodological Study.
Yufei Huang, Cunqing Deng, Haiyang Lin and 2 others
PMID 39873129WHAT IT FOUND
The Chinese version of SPICT screened hospitalized cancer patients for palliative care needs and matched another screening tool, but it was not tested against death or clinical outcomes.
Key findings
01Compared with the Chinese version of PCST, SPICT-CH had sensitivity 0.806 and specificity 0.943, but the reference standard was another screening tool, so validation is preliminary.
02The adapted tool showed content validity 0.981, internal consistency 0.743, and test-retest stability 0.923.
03Among 388 hospitalized patients with cancer, 103 (26.5%) screened positive for palliative care needs.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The reference standard was the Chinese version of PCST, not mortality, formal palliative care consultation, or clinical outcomes, so the screening performance is preliminary. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling from oncology and radiation oncology departments, so the sample may not represent all hospitalized cancer patients. The study included only patients with cancer, although SPICT is intended for many life-limiting conditions, so it does not show performance for other diseases. The cross-sectional design did not follow patients to see whether screening positive predicted deterioration or death.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read SPICT-CH as a tool proven to identify patients who will die or who will benefit from palliative care. It was compared with another screening tool in hospitalized cancer patients, not with mortality or formal palliative care consultation.