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Background Many studies have used disease-specific instruments, such as the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT), when studying health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients. Few studies however, have described normative HRQOL values in the general population using FACT - General Population (FACT-GP). The general aim of the present study is thus to describe the normative HRQOL values in the general Swedish population by using the FACT-GP instrument and to investigate to what degree sociodemographic factors and status of self-rated health (SRH) correlate with HRQOL. Methods The participants consisted of a pre-stratified (gender, age and education) sample of Swedish citizens that previously had enrolled to be a part of a web panel hosted by a research institute (SOM Institute) at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. The HRQOL was assessed by using the FACT-GP and SRH. Results A higher FACT-GP score was mainly associated with males, higher age, higher income and better SRH. The results showed that the Swedish sample scored lower on FACT-GP than previous studies. Conclusions Since HRQOL is frequently used as an important endpoint in healthcare research, there is an increasing need for normative data. The results from this study serve as a general population standard against which other studied HRQOL-data could be evaluated.

Problem behaviors like self‐injury, aggression, or disruption will likely require intervention at some point in the life of a person diagnosed with autism. Behavioral intervention has been proven to be effective for addressing these problems, especially when a functional assessment is conducted. Comprehensive treatment for problem behavior is, however, often fractured across studies, resulting in a dearth of studies that show socially validated improvements in these problem behaviors or illustrate the assessment and treatment process from start to finish. In this article, we describe an effective, comprehensive, and parent‐validated functional assessment and treatment process for the severe problem behaviors of 3 children with autism. After an 8‐ to 14‐week outpatient clinic consultation, no problem behavior was observed at the clinic and in the home. Furthermore, behavior that did not occur during baseline (e.g., functional communication, delay and denial tolerance, and compliance with instructions) occurred with regularity. Video Video

Young children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and Rett syndrome often experience severe communication impairments. This study examined the efficacy of parent-implemented communication assessment and intervention with remote coaching via telehealth on the acquisition of early communication skills of three young children with ASD (2) and Rett syndrome (1). Efficacy of the intervention was evaluated using single-case experimental designs. First, functional assessment was used to identify idiosyncratic/potentially communicative responses and contexts for each child. Next, parents implemented functional communication training (FCT). All of the children acquired the targeted communication responses. The findings support the efficacy of telehealth as a service delivery model to coach parents on intervention strategies for their children’s early communication skills.

The field of applied behavior analysis emphasizes the importance of conducting functional assessment before treatment development for problem behavior. There is, however, little information regarding the extent to which practitioners are using functional assessment in applied settings for individuals with developmental disabilities (DD). The purpose of the current study was to conduct a survey to assess the degree to which various types of functional assessment are implemented in agencies that serve individuals with DD in Massachusetts. Practitioners were asked to indicate their perception about and use of the various categories of functional assessment (e.g., indirect assessment, descriptive assessment, and functional analysis). From the 205 respondents who completed the survey, the most frequently used functional assessment was descriptive assessment. Results indicated that although the majority (67.8%) of practitioners believe functional analysis to be the most informative assessment tool for selecting behavioral treatment, only 34.6% of respondents indicated that they typically use functional analysis to inform the development of a behavior plan.

Objective: The aim of this cross sectional study was to assess the factor analysis of Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM) among Iranian adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury. Method: In this study, 646 high school students, with the mean age of 16.55 ± 0.7, were selected using a multistage cluster sampling method; they completed FASM and the demographic form. Data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics, chi-square (χ2), independent sample t test, MANOVA, and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Results: Of the participants, 178 reported at least 1 episode of NSSI during the previous year. The mean age of the participants when they first harmed themselves was 14.64 (±1.71). Most of them reported to engage in NSSI impulsively (39.32%) and experienced little (31.5%) or moderate physical pain (31.5%) There were no significant differences between males and females in severity of NSSI, frequency of NSSI, thinking about NSSI prior to engaging in the act, and age of onset. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the 4-factor model of NSSI functions suggested by Nock and Prinstine [Χ2/df = 1.84; RMSEA = 0.07; GFI = 0.82; AGFI = 0.77]. The most frequent function for engaging in NSSI was Automatic Negative Reinforcement. Conclusion: Findings of this study supported the structural validity of the FASM; thus, this tool can be useful in treatment and research contexts as a measure of NSSI functions. Moreover, this study found that adolescents engage in non-suicidal self-injury because of 4 distinct reinforcement processes. The study findings have important implications for the assessment and treatment of NSSI.

To determine distribution- and anchor-based minimal important difference (MID) estimates for four scores from the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Breast (FACT-B): the breast cancer subscale (BCS), Trial Outcome Index (TOI), FACT-G (the general version), and FACT-B. We used data from a Phase III clinical trial in metastatic breast cancer (ECOG study 1193; n = 739) and a prospective observational study of pain in metastatic breast cancer ( n = 129). One third and one half of the standard deviation and 1 standard error of measurement were used as distribution-based criteria. Clinical indicators used to determine anchor-based differences included ECOG performance status, current pain, and response to treatment. FACT-B scores were responsive to performance status and pain anchors, but not to treatment response. By combining the results of distribution- and anchor-based methods, MID estimates were obtained: BCS = 2–3 points, TOI = 5–6 points, FACT-G = 5–6 points, and FACT-B = 7–8 points. Distribution- and anchor-based estimates of the MID do show convergence. These estimates can be used in combination with other measures of efficacy to determine meaningful benefit and provide a basis for sample size estimation in clinical trials.

Purpose Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) may necessitate chemotherapy dose reduction, delay, or discontinuation. This pilot study tested feasibility of patient enrollment, CIPN screening, and data collection in cancer patients for a future clinical study that will assess the safety and efficacy of an intervention that may prevent CIPN. Methods This prospective, observational, single-center, pilot study included adults with newly diagnosed lymphoma or multiple myeloma receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy. Patients were enrolled between September 2016 and February 2017. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-Ntx) questionnaire was completed by patients at 3 time points: baseline, week 6, and week 12. The primary outcome was change in the neurotoxicity score between these time points. Results Of 33 patients approached for consent, 28 (85%) provided consent and were enrolled. The FACT/GOG-Ntx questionnaire was completed by 28 (100%) at baseline, 25 (89%) at week 6, and 24 (86%) at week 12. Average (standard deviation) neurotoxicity scores were 36.5 (6.6) at baseline, 34.0 (8.3) at week 6, and 30.6 (7.6) at week 12. Neurotoxicity scores changed from baseline by − 2.7 points (95% CI − 5.5 to 0.1; p  = 0.061) at week 6 and − 6.0 points (95% CI − 5.6 to − 0.8; p  = 0.012) at week 12. Clinically meaningful declines (decrease of > 10% from baseline) in neurotoxicity score were detected in 36% (9 of 25) at week 6 and in 67% (16 of 24) at week 12. Conclusion Sixty-seven percent of patients experienced clinically significant CIPN within 12 weeks of starting chemotherapy. Feasibility metrics for enrollment, consent, CIPN assessment, and follow-up were met.

Purpose Impairment of cognitive function, a common complaint in patients receiving chemotherapy, is usually measured through neuropsychological tests. Patient self-evaluation of cognitive difficulties is an important complement to those tests. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Cognitive Function (FACT-Cog) is a self-report questionnaire with potential to be used in standard clinical practice as a tool for evaluating patient's cognitive function before, during, and after chemotherapy. The purpose of our study was to conduct linguistic validation of the French version of the FACT-Cog. Methods Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this study. After undergoing a rigorous translation methodology, the French FACT-Cog version was pretested in France with 35 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Interviews were conducted with all patients to ascertain their understanding of each item. The validation of the final version was conducted among 63 cancer patients, and sociodemographic information was collected as well as brief measure of cognitive function and depression score. Results Patient comments obtained through the cognitive debriefing interviews indicated that patients understand the French FACT-Cog items as they are intended and that the measure is culturally appropriate. Internal consistency reliability of the subscales, evaluated using Cronbach's coefficient alpha, was high for all four subscales: Perceived Cognitive Impairments  = 0.93, Impact On QOL  = 0.85, Comments From Others  = 0.70, and Perceived Cognitive Abilities  = 0.89. All item-total correlations for each subscale were greater than 0.20, and most were greater than 0.50. Conclusions Results from this study effectively demonstrate that the French FACT-Cog is a reliable instrument for the self-reporting of cognitive abilities in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

In this replication study, we examined the effect of educators’ participation in a practice-based professional learning series for designing, implementing, and evaluating Functional Assessment-based Interventions (FABI; Umbreit, Liaupsin, Ferro, & Lane, 2007) on their actual knowledge and perceived knowledge, confidence, and usefulness of concepts taught. Participants completed the Knowledge, Confidence, and Use Survey prior to and at the conclusion of the six-part learning series. Consistent with earlier inquiry, results indicated participants demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the constructs measured. This study extended previous research by examining the extent to which school-based teams attending this professional learning series completed each step in this systematic approach to FABI. Implications for supporting educators in applying FABIs to assist students with challenging behaviors using a practice-based professional learning series are discussed along with considerations for future research.

The Gambling Functional Assessment (GFA) hypothesized four possible maintaining functions of gambling behavior, including social attention, escape from aversive events, access to tangible items, and sensory stimulation. In the years following the GFA’s release, research teams have argued for a revised model of the GFA to account for just two possible functions maintaining gambling behavior (positive and negative reinforcement). In the current study, we examined the extent to which a four-factor gambling functional assessment was possible, sustaining a conceptual and theoretical orientation consistent with a functional behavioral account of gambling. Three hundred and sixty-five recreational and disordered gamblers completed a demographic survey, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), and the GFA. An exploratory factor analysis was first conducted to determine GFA functional items that loaded onto a common factor, and a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to determine if a four-factor model, consistent with the functional categories of the GFA, provided a good fit for the obtained data. Outcomes supported the model, suggesting that a four-factor functional account of gambling behavior can be obtained. Differing results obtained by separate research teams, however, suggest that more precise research may be needed in the development and analysis of functional instruments for use with gamblers.