Validation of the Portuguese version of Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS)

Background Preoperative anxiety is common among the oncological surgical population. Due to its psychological and physiological detrimental effects, identifying and addressing it is of uttermost importance to improve anesthetic management and patient’s outcomes. The aim of this study is to validate the Portuguese version of Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) in the oncological population. Methods Following forward and backward translation of the original APAIS scale, further adaptation was obtained through cognitive interviewing. The resulting instrument was tested on the day before surgery on a sample of adult cancer surgical patients from a Portuguese oncology centre. Psychometric evaluation was derived from inter-item correlation, confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, correlation with comparative scales, receiver operating characteristic curve and Youden index. Results 109 patients (58 males, 51 females) were included. A three-dimensional model—anxiety about anesthesia, anxiety about surgery and desire for information, showed the best fit to the data. The questionnaire revealed high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha 0.81) and good inter-item correlation. Also, Portuguese APAIS correlated well with the gold standard anxiety scale. Therefore, the psychometric properties of this scale version make it a valid and reliable instrument. The optimal cutoff to maximize both sensitivity and specificity was 12 for the APAIS global anxiety score. Conclusions Portuguese APAIS version is an accurate tool to identify preoperative anxiety among cancer patients and might impact its management, from premedication choice to provision of information and reassurance about either anesthesia or surgery.