PROMIS depression measures perform similarly to legacy measures relative to a structured diagnostic interview for depression in cancer patients

Purpose: To assess the convergent validity of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) depression measures relative to legacy measures and criterion validity against a structured diagnostic interview for depression in an oncology sample. Methods: 132 oncology/haematology outpatients completed the PROMIS Depression Computer Adaptive Test (PROMIS-D-CAT) and PROMIS Depression Short Form (PROMIS-D-SF) along with seven legacy measures: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D); Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; Patient Health Questionnaire; Distress Thermometer and PSYCH-6. Correlations, area under the curve (AUC) and diagnostic accuracy statistics were calculated with Structured Clinical Interview as the gold standard. Results: Both PROMIS measures correlated with all legacy measures at p < .001 (ρ = 0.589–0.810) and all AUCs (> 0.800) were comparable. At the cut-off points for mild depression of 53, the PROMIS measures had sensitivity (0.83 for PROMIS-D-CAT and 0.80 for PROMIS-D-SF) similar to or better than 6/7 legacy measures with high negative predictive value (> 90%). At cut-off points of 60 for moderate depression, PROMIS measures had specificity > 90%, similar to or better than all legacy measures and positive predictive value ≥ 0.50 (similar to 5/7 legacy measures). Conclusions: The convergent and criterion validity of the PROMIS depression measures in cancer populations was confirmed, although the optimal cut-off points are not established. PROMIS measures were briefer than BDI-II and CES-D but do not offer any advance in terms of diagnostic accuracy, reduced response burden or cost over other legacy measures of depression in oncology patients.