The Psychosocial assessment tool (PAT)©: Pilot data on a brief screening instrument for identifying high risk families in pediatric oncology

Our multidisciplinary team wrote and pilot-tested a brief assessment tool for families of newly diagnosed pediatric oncology patients to identify families at potential risk for elevated distress during treatment. The Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) is a 20-item form assessing 10 potential risk domains: family structure, family resources, social support, child knowledge, school attendance, child emotional and behavioral concerns, child maturity for age, marital/family problems, family beliefs, and other stressors. PAT was administered to 107 families of patients over a 12-month period. Using descriptive statistics at this stage in instrument development, we identified potential high risk responses across the major item categories. These pilot data suggest that PAT provides a feasible format for screening potential psychosocial risk in families of newly diagnosed pediatric oncology patients.