The development of the Chemotherapy Symptom Assessment Scale (C-SAS): a scale for the routine clinical assessment of the symptom experiences of patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy.

The management of symptoms experienced by patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy influences quality of life during treatment. Symptom management may be improved through a structured approach to symptom assessment. This paper describes the development of the Chemotherapy Symptom Assessment Scale (C-SAS), a 24-item scale designed for the routine assessment of symptoms experienced by patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Professional training. Learning the hard way.

An audit of nursing, midwifery and physiotherapy training commissioned by a consortium of trusts in Sussex showed diverging views on the relevance of courses. Many nursing students wanted more practical experience. Two-thirds of students reported financial hardship and a third were working at the same time as studying.

How valid and reliable are patient satisfaction data? An analysis of 195 studies.

Objective: To assess the properties of validity and reliability of instruments used to assess satisfaction in a broad sample of health service user satisfaction studies, and to assess the level of awareness of these issues among study authors.

Design: Examination and analysis of 195 papers published in 1994 in 139 journals. The following databases were searched: British Nursing Index, CINAHL, EMBASE, MedLine, Popline, and PsycLIT.

Characteristics of new referrals to twenty-seven lymphoedema treatment units.

Lymphoedema affects 25-28% of patients who have undergone axillary surgery or radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer. The prevalence of primary lymphoedema or of lymphoedema secondary to non-cancer causes is unknown. In addition, basic demographic and disease characteristics of the lymphoedema population remain undocumented.