Nuevo modo de valorar los síntomas de enfermos de cáncer, diseñado por una profesora de la Facultad de Enfermería
New way of assessing the symptoms of cancer patients, designed by a professor of the School of Nursing
assessment Ana Carvajal, professor at the University of Navarra's Master's Degree University Nursing in Palliative Care, has designed and validated in Spanish a modified version of the ESAS symptom test. This instrument, designed in Canada, is used to evaluate the most frequent symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. The study was carried out at partnership with different professionals from Spain and Guatemala.
A validated version of the ESAS has been available in Spain since 2010, the result of Ana Carvajal's doctoral thesis , carried out in Sheffield (UK). With the experience of the professionals who used the test, a new version of the ESAS has been designed. Clínica Universidad de Navarra using the test, a new version of the instrument has been designed: the ESAS-r.
According to the specialist at School de Enfermería, "patients prefer this new version, as it includes instructions, alternative terms for some symptoms and an easier to read format". In fact, she clarifies that it is already used by the support team at Clínica Universidad de Navarra and in many other centers. "Palliative care patients suffer multiple, intense, multifactorial and changing symptoms with an emotional impact. That is why professionals working in palliative care must be familiar with the assessment of symptoms of patients with advanced disease," Ana Carvajal stresses.