The Distress-barometer: Face-to-face Interviews or Written Self-report Questionnaires?

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide \[1\]. 5 years after diagnosis, up to 87% survives. A substantial group of these survivors report reduced physical, psycho social and cognitive functioning. Therefore, it is increasingly important to screen for distress, both during and after treatment. The Distress Barometer (DB) is a valid, short screening instrument, used to detect elevated levels of distress in patients with cancer. It can be used either in a self-report questionnaire or in an interview format. Although the DB is used in different ways, it remains unclear whether both assessment methods would generate similar results, and which format is most suitable to represent the actual level of distress. Existing literature on the DB lacks a systematic description of the relationship between the method of assessment and the patients' responses. This study questions whether the written and interview variants of the DB reveal different results in the same patients with breast cancer.