Dying Patients' Need for Emotional Support and Personalized Care from Physicians: Perspectives of Patients with Terminal Illness, Families, and Health Care Providers

This study addressed the emotional and personal needs of dying patients and the ways physicians help or hinder these needs. Twenty focus groups were held with 137 individuals, including patients with chronic and terminal illnesses, family members, health care workers, and physicians. Content analyse...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of pain and symptom management 2003-03, Vol.25 (3), p.236-246
Main Authors: Wenrich, Marjorie D, Curtis, J.Randall, Ambrozy, Donna A, Carline, Jan D, Shannon, Sarah E, Ramsey, Paul G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy
Biological and medical sciences
Clinical death. Palliative care. Organ gift and preservation
Critical Illness - psychology
Critical Illness - therapy
emotional
End-of-life care
Family
Female
Health Personnel
Health Services Needs and Demand
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
physician competence
Physician-Patient Relations
qualitative research
Terminal Care
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study addressed the emotional and personal needs of dying patients and the ways physicians help or hinder these needs. Twenty focus groups were held with 137 individuals, including patients with chronic and terminal illnesses, family members, health care workers, and physicians. Content analyses were performed based on grounded theory. Emotional support and personalization were 2 of the 12 domains identified as important in end-of-life care. Components of emotional support were compassion, responsiveness to emotional needs, maintaining hope and a positive attitude, and providing comfort through touch. Components of personalization were treating the whole person and not just the disease, making the patient feel unique and special, and considering the patient's social situation. Although the levels of emotional support and personalization varied, there was a minimal level, defined by compassion and treating the whole person and not just the disease, that physicians should strive to meet in caring for all dying patients. Participants also identified intermediate and advanced levels of physician behavior that provide emotional and personal support.
ISSN:0885-3924
1873-6513
DOI:10.1016/S0885-3924(02)00694-2