An assessment of fatigue also may consider broader concerns, such as global quality of life and symptom distress. Some of the fatigue scales, such as the unidimensional three-item scale of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the multidimensional fatigue subscale of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT), are themselves modules of well validated quality of life instruments. The larger scale may be included if additional evaluation of quality of life is valuable. For the other fatigue scales, a separate quality of life questionnaire will be needed to accomplish the same goal.

Most patients with cancer or AIDS have multiple symptoms. Fatigue, pain, and psychological distress are the most prevalent in most populations. Given the likelihood of multiple symptoms, it may be informative to add a measure of symptom prevalence and distress to the fatigue assessment strategy. This approach also can clarify the extent to which fatigue associates with other symptoms.