Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESAS-r)
Assesses symptoms of patients receiving palliative care.
For each prompt, the healthcare professional, caregiver, or patient should select a number based on how the patient feels at the time of assessment.
Advice
- Explore elevated scores within each variable, and initiate or escalate interventions (e.g., pain management, psychological support) as appropriate.
- Repeat the assessment periodically to track changes over time and adjust treatment plans accordingly.
- Uncontrolled symptoms may require more frequent monitoring and treatment adjustments, especially in hospice or tertiary palliative care settings where daily assessments may be needed.
- Well-controlled symptoms may allow for less frequent reassessments.
- Document symptom trends and share findings with the interdisciplinary team to ensure coordinated care.