PURPOSE: Awareness of the status of disease among terminally ill cancer patients is an important part of the end-of-life care. We have evaluated how palliative care consultative service (PCCS) affects patient disease awareness and determined who may benefit from such services in Taiwan. METHODS: In total, 2,887 terminally ill cancer patients consecutively received PCCS between January 2006 and December 2010 at a single medical center in Taiwan, after which they were evaluated for disease awareness. At the beginning of PCCS, 31 % of patients (n = 895) were unaware of their disease status. The characteristics of these 895 patients were analyzed retrospectively to determine variables pertinent to patient disease awareness after PCCS. RESULTS: In total, 485 (50 %) of the 895 patients became aware of their disease at the end of PCCS. Factors significantly associated with higher disease awareness included a longer interval between the date of hospital admission and that of PCCS referral (>4 weeks versus ≤2 weeks), a longer duration of PCCS (>14 days versus ≤7 days), the male gender, divorced marital status (versus married), and family awareness (versus lack of family awareness). Lower disease awareness was associated with older age (age > 75 years versus age = 18-65 years), referral from non-oncology departments, and primary cancer localization (lung, colon-rectum, or urological versus liver). CONCLUSIONS: Disease awareness is affected by multiple factors related to the patients, their families, and the clinicians. The promotion of PCCS increased disease awareness among terminally ill cancer patients in Taiwan.
PURPOSE: Awareness of the status of disease among terminally ill cancerpatients is an important part of the end-of-life care. We have evaluated how palliative care consultative service (PCCS) affects patient disease awareness and determined who may benefit from such services in Taiwan. METHODS: In total, 2,887 terminally ill cancerpatients consecutively received PCCS between January 2006 and December 2010 at a single medical center in Taiwan, after which they were evaluated for disease awareness. At the beginning of PCCS, 31 % of patients (n = 895) were unaware of their disease status. The characteristics of these 895 patients were analyzed retrospectively to determine variables pertinent to patient disease awareness after PCCS. RESULTS: In total, 485 (50 %) of the 895 patients became aware of their disease at the end of PCCS. Factors significantly associated with higher disease awareness included a longer interval between the date of hospital admission and that of PCCS referral (>4 weeks versus ≤2 weeks), a longer duration of PCCS (>14 days versus ≤7 days), the male gender, divorced marital status (versus married), and family awareness (versus lack of family awareness). Lower disease awareness was associated with older age (age > 75 years versus age = 18-65 years), referral from non-oncology departments, and primary cancer localization (lung, colon-rectum, or urological versus liver). CONCLUSIONS: Disease awareness is affected by multiple factors related to the patients, their families, and the clinicians. The promotion of PCCS increased disease awareness among terminally ill cancerpatients in Taiwan.
Authors: G A Kazdaglis; C Arnaoutoglou; D Karypidis; G Memekidou; G Spanos; O Papadopoulos Journal: East Mediterr Health J Date: 2010-04 Impact factor: 1.628
Authors: Irene J Higginson; Ilora Finlay; Danielle M Goodwin; Alison M Cook; Kerry Hood; Adrian G K Edwards; Hannah-Rose Douglas; Charles E Norman Journal: J Pain Symptom Manage Date: 2002-02 Impact factor: 3.612
Authors: Young Ho Yun; Myung Kyung Lee; Seon Young Kim; Woo Jin Lee; Kyung Hae Jung; Young Rok Do; Samyong Kim; Dae Seog Heo; Jong Soo Choi; Sang Yoon Park; Hyun Sik Jeong; Jung Hun Kang; Si-Young Kim; Jungsil Ro; Jung Lim Lee; Sook Ryun Park; Sohee Park Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 2011-05-16 Impact factor: 44.544
Authors: G Numico; M Anfossi; G Bertelli; E Russi; G Cento; N Silvestris; C Granetto; G Di Costanzo; M Occelli; E Fea; O Garrone; M Gasco; I Colantonio; M Merlano Journal: Ann Oncol Date: 2009-01-15 Impact factor: 32.976
Authors: Sandhya K Mudumbi; Claire E Bourgeois; Nicholas A Hoppman; Catherine H Smith; Manisha Verma; Marie A Bakitas; Cynthia J Brown; Alayne D Markland Journal: J Palliat Med Date: 2018-04-26 Impact factor: 2.947
Authors: Arianne Brinkman-Stoppelenburg; Frederika E Witkamp; Lia van Zuylen; Carin C D van der Rijt; Agnes van der Heide Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-08-23 Impact factor: 3.240