Introduction M.H. Chochinov's dignity question: What do I need to know about you as a person to take the best care of you that I can? is a brief diagnostic and therapeutic intervention. The aim of the study was to assess how cancer patients assess the relevance of the question, how they answer and whether the evaluation of this method changes with the duration of home palliative care. Patients and methods. The study involved 200 patients of the home hospice, who were divided into 2 groups. Group A comprised 100 patients receiving palliative care for up to 7 days, group B included 100 patients under care exceeding 7 days. All patients were posed a dignity question and 2 related ones: whether they consider this question important and whether it should be recommended in practice. In group A, the study was repeated after at least 21 days. Competent judges were then selected and the answers were assigned to specific categories. Results. The most frequently chosen answer was the one from the category of request for medical staff's help or support, which was characterised by the greatest variability under the influence of time-exchange for an answer: nothing, you already know everything about me. The vast majority of the surveyed patients answered affirmatively to the question about the significance of interventions regarding the care for patients and agreed that the question should be recommended in practice. Conclusions. In most patients the answers to the dignity question change with the duration of home palliative care, which may be related to deepening relations with medical staff. The dignity question has been considered significant regarding the patient care.
Szczególne potrzeby osób LGBT+ są coraz częściej w sferze zainteresowań profesjonalistów ochrony zdrowia. Autorzy artykułu po wyjaśnieniu podstawowych pojęć analizują sytuację zdrowotną osób nieheteronormatywnych. Zwrócono uwagę na istniejące bariery w dostępie osób LGBT+ do świadczeń zdrowotnych, ocenę stanu fizycznego i psychicznego w porównaniu z populacją osób heteroseksualnych oraz stosunek personelu medycznego do pacjentów w zależności od orientacji seksualnej. Stałe podnoszenie poziomu wiedzy personelu medycznego w zakresie sytuacji osób LGBT+, szczególnych dla nich problemów i potrzeb zdrowotnych staje się niezbędne w codziennej praktyce klinicznej, także w opiece paliatywnej.
Aim: Dignity therapy is a short-term, individualized, patient-focused form of therapy reducing stress and helping both the patient and his family appreciate the end-of-life situation. The present study describes the impact of dignity therapy on an advanced cancer patient within a Polish hospital setting. Methods: MH. Chochinov's dignity therapy protocol was applied. A session was conducted during which an interview with the patient was recorded; subsequently subjected to a statistical analysis. The competent judges' approach was used to effectively preclude subjective interpretation of the patient's statement by an investigator. The judges' appraisal was then checked for concordance (W Kendall). The patient was also asked to complete a survey questionnaire designed to assess the therapeutic effectiveness of dignity therapy in the intervention. Results: The patient indicated that family epitomized the most crucial values. He also highlighted other issues, i.e. his work and life's passion -playing the drums. The survey questionnaire indicated that by far the greatest benefit consisted in an overall improvement of his mental well-being (4.67). Benefits for the family followed (4), including his hope for recovering family ties (4). An unexpected therapeutic effect consisted in re-establishing a broken relationship with his daughters. Conclusions: Dignity therapy proved effective not only as a method of enhancing the patient's own sense of dignity in the face of impending death but also tangibly instrumental in overcoming a dramatic communication break within a family.
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