Truth-telling at the end of life: a pilot study on the perspective of patients and professional caregivers.
Patient Educ Couns
; 71(1): 52-6, 2008 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-18180136
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To describe the attitudes towards truth-telling of both terminal patients and professional caregivers, and to determine their perceived barriers to full information exchange.METHODS:
In-depth interviews with 17 terminal patients selected through GPs and staff members of Flemish palliative care centres, and 3 focus groups with different professional caregivers. Analysis was based on grounded theory.RESULTS:
There was considerable variability in the preferences of patients regarding when and how they wanted to be informed of their diagnosis, prognosis, expected disease course and end-of-life decisions. Major ambivalence was observed regarding the degree to which patients wanted to hear 'the whole truth'. Patients and caregivers agreed that truth-telling should be a 'dosed and gradual' process. Several barriers to more complete and timely truth-telling were identified.CONCLUSION:
The preferences of both patients and caregivers for step-by-step--and hence slow and limited--information prevents terminal patients from reaching the level of information needed for informed end-of-life decision-making. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The preference of patients and caregivers to 'dose' the truth may entail some risks, such as a 'Catch 22' situation in which both patients and caregivers wait for a signal from each other before starting a dialogue about impending death.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Cuidados Paliativos
/
Relações Profissional-Paciente
/
Assistência Terminal
/
Revelação da Verdade
/
Satisfação do Paciente
Tipo de estudo:
Qualitative_research
Aspecto:
Patient_preference
Limite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Patient Educ Couns
Ano de publicação:
2008
Tipo de documento:
Article