Aim. In this paper, we describe the evidence-based revised conceptual model, the
three dimensions of the model, and the areas where further research is needed.
Background/Rationale. The experience of symptoms, minor to severe, prompts
millions of patients to visit their healthcare providers each year. Symptoms not only
create distress, but also disrupt social functioning. The management of symptoms
and their resulting outcomes often become the responsibility of the patient and his
or her family members. Healthcare providers have dif®culty developing symptom
management strategies that can be applied across acute and home-care settings
because few models of symptom management have been tested empirically.
To date, the majority of research on symptoms was directed toward studying a
single symptom, such as pain or fatigue, or toward evaluating associated symptoms,
such as depression and sleep disturbance. While this approach has advanced our
understanding of some symptoms, we offer a generic symptom management model
to provide direction for selecting clinical interventions, informing research, and
bridging an array of symptoms associated with a variety of diseases and conditions.
Finally, a broadly-based symptom management model allows the integration of
science from other ®elds