Data collection
A structured assessment employing the BARF scale was administered twice
to the patients or their caregivers during the acute and delayed phases,
respectively. After obtaining official permission from the Institutional
Review Board (IRB) at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), the patient or
guardian was initially approached by a familiar healthcare professional
(a physician, nurse, or pharmacist) to explain the study, details of
participation, and the potential value of the survey results. The
patient/guardian was then provided with a patient information sheet and
a consent form and provided with sufficient time to decide whether to
participate in the assessment. The questionnaire was administered to the
guardian/attendant if the child was <8 years old with due
input from the child, while the assessment was obtained directly from
the children aged between 8 and 14 years with parents’ input.
Subsequently, the patient was provided with the BARF and educated on how
to use it. For inpatients, the assessment was performed two separate
times: the first was conducted 1-day post-chemotherapy to assess for
acute CINV, and the second was done 2–5 days post-chemotherapy to
assess for delayed CINV. For outpatients, the assessment was given to
the patient/caregiver during their visit and completed via telephonic
conversation.