distress-screening
Scannednpx machina-cli add skill rhavekost/clinical-toolkit/distress-screening --openclawDistress Screening (K6 / K10)
Description
This skill provides the K6 and K10 psychological distress scales. Use K6 for brief screening and K10 for more detailed monitoring.
Permission: Use of K6 and K10 is free and does not require formal permission; include the required copyright and citation.
Quick Reference
| Assessment | Items | Time | Purpose | Score Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K6 | 6 | 1-2 min | Brief distress screening | 0-24 (0-4 coding) |
| K10 | 10 | 2-3 min | Distress monitoring | 0-40 (0-4 coding) |
Assessment Tools
- K6: assets/k6.md
- K10: assets/k10.md
Interactive Administration (Optional)
Use this mode when the clinician says "start" or "administer" the K6/K10.
- Confirm readiness and explain the past 30 days time frame plus the 5-point response scale.
- Ask one item at a time (verbatim from the asset file) and wait for a response before continuing.
- Accept numeric or verbal responses; if unclear or out of range, ask for clarification.
- Recode responses to 0-4 scoring and keep a running total.
- After the final item, calculate the total score, interpret severity, and provide next-step guidance.
- Offer a brief documentation summary if requested.
Documentation
Use templates in each asset file.
References
- Permission and scoring guidance: references/permissions-and-scoring.md
Source
git clone https://github.com/rhavekost/clinical-toolkit/blob/main/dist/consumer/claude/distress-screening/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
Distress Screening provides the K6 and K10 psychological distress scales for brief screening and ongoing symptom monitoring. K6 offers a 1–2 minute brief distress screen, while K10 supports more detailed monitoring over 2–3 minutes. Scores range 0–24 for K6 and 0–40 for K10, with interpretation guidance and simple documentation.
How This Skill Works
Clinicians administer either the K6 or K10, recode responses to 0–4, and sum to a total score. The K6 is 6 items for quick screening (0–24) and the K10 is 10 items for ongoing monitoring (0–40). Interpretation guidance is provided to judge severity and decide next steps.
When to Use It
- Initial nonspecific distress screening in primary care or urgent care
- Routine monitoring of symptom burden over time in chronic illness or recovery
- Follow up after mental health treatment to track change
- Telemedicine or remote assessments requiring standardized distress measurement
- Research, program evaluation, or quality improvement projects tracking distress levels
Quick Start
- Step 1: Decide on K6 for brief screening or K10 for monitoring and explain the 30 day frame and 5 point scale
- Step 2: Administer items one at a time, record responses, and recode to 0–4 scoring
- Step 3: Sum the item scores, interpret the severity, and document next steps with citation
Best Practices
- Explain the 30 day time frame and the 5 point response scale before starting
- Administer one item at a time and pause for responses
- Recode responses to 0–4 and sum to a total score for interpretation
- Use established cutoffs to interpret severity and outline next steps
- Cite the required copyright and reference permissions when documenting results
Example Use Cases
- Primary care intake to screen for nonspecific distress during a new patient visit
- Oncology or palliative care visits to monitor symptom burden over time
- Behavioral health follow up using K6 for screening and K10 for monitoring
- Telehealth check-ins with remote distress tracking between visits
- Quality improvement project tracking distress outcomes across clinics
