Construct validity of PROMIS® Cognitive Function in cancer patients and noncancer controls.

OBJECTIVE: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Cognitive Function-Concerns® (PROMIS®-CF-Concerns) assesses self-reported cognitive complaints. Construct validity data for the CF-Concerns are few. To add to the literature, an analysis of criterion validity for cognitive complaints (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Cognitive Functioning subscale [EORTC-CF]) and cognitive performance (neuropsychological tests of memory [NIH Toolbox Auditory Verbal Learning Test] and verbal fluency [Controlled Oral Word Association Test]) and discriminant validity (self-reports of negative emotions of anxiety, depression, negative mood) are provided. A two-group comparison design was used. METHOD: Forty-four patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and 44 age- and gender-matched noncancer controls completed self-report measures and neuropsychological tests. Spearman's rank correlations (rs) and independent-samples t tests were used. RESULTS: Regarding criterion validity, PROMIS®-CF-Concerns significantly correlated with the EORTC-CF (rs = 0.77, p < .001), although not with tests of memory (-0.19) or verbal fluency (0.16). As expected, patients with CLL performed lower than did controls on neuropsychological tests (ps < .05) yet did not differ from controls on PROMIS®-CF-Concerns. PROMIS®-CF-Concerns was reliably and significantly correlated with negative emotions, with rs ranges across measures of -0.42 to -0.69 for the CLL group and -0.53 to -0.78 for controls. CONCLUSIONS: PROMIS®-CF-Concerns exhibited high internal consistency. Criterion validity was evidenced for cognitive complaints though not for cognitive performance as assessed here. In summary, the analysis supports the criterion validity of PROMIS®-CF-Concerns for cognitive complaints. It also covaries with self-reports of co-occurring anxiety, depression, and negative mood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).