Shane Sinclair1, Susan McClement2, Shelley Raffin-Bouchal3, Thomas F Hack4, Neil A Hagen5, Shelagh McConnell6, Harvey Max Chochinov7. 1. Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: sinclair@ucalgary.ca. 2. Manitoba Palliative Care Research Unit, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 3. Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 4. Manitoba Palliative Care Research Unit, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; College of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 5. Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 6. Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; College of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 7. Manitoba Palliative Care Research Unit, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Compassion is frequently referenced as a hallmark of quality care by patients, health care providers, health care administrators, and policy makers. Despite its putative centrality, including its institution in recent health care reform, an empirical understanding based on the perspectives of patients, the recipients of compassion, is lacking-making compassion one of the most referenced yet poorly understood elements of quality care. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate palliative cancer patients' understanding and experiences of compassion to provide a critical perspective on the nature and importance of compassion. METHODS: This grounded theory study used semi-structured interviews to investigate how patients understand and experience compassion in clinical care. Using convenience and theoretical sampling, 53 advanced cancer inpatients were recruited over a seven-month period from a specialized palliative care unit and hospital-wide palliative care service within a Canadian urban setting. Data were analyzed by four members of the research team through the three stages of Straussian grounded theory. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis yielded seven categories, each containing distinct themes and subthemes. Together, they constitute components of the compassion model-the first empirically based clinical model of compassion. The model defines compassion as a virtuous response that seeks to address the suffering and needs of a person through relational understanding and action. CONCLUSION: The components of the compassion model provide insight into how patients understand and experience compassion, providing the necessary empirical foundation to develop future research, measures, training, and clinical care based on this vital feature of quality care.
CONTEXT: Compassion is frequently referenced as a hallmark of quality care by patients, health care providers, health care administrators, and policy makers. Despite its putative centrality, including its institution in recent health care reform, an empirical understanding based on the perspectives of patients, the recipients of compassion, is lacking-making compassion one of the most referenced yet poorly understood elements of quality care. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate palliative cancerpatients' understanding and experiences of compassion to provide a critical perspective on the nature and importance of compassion. METHODS: This grounded theory study used semi-structured interviews to investigate how patients understand and experience compassion in clinical care. Using convenience and theoretical sampling, 53 advanced cancer inpatients were recruited over a seven-month period from a specialized palliative care unit and hospital-wide palliative care service within a Canadian urban setting. Data were analyzed by four members of the research team through the three stages of Straussian grounded theory. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis yielded seven categories, each containing distinct themes and subthemes. Together, they constitute components of the compassion model-the first empirically based clinical model of compassion. The model defines compassion as a virtuous response that seeks to address the suffering and needs of a person through relational understanding and action. CONCLUSION: The components of the compassion model provide insight into how patients understand and experience compassion, providing the necessary empirical foundation to develop future research, measures, training, and clinical care based on this vital feature of quality care.
Authors: Shane Sinclair; Jane Kondejewski; Priya Jaggi; Liz Dennett; Amanda L Roze des Ordons; Thomas F Hack Journal: Acad Med Date: 2021-07-01 Impact factor: 7.840
Authors: Shane Sinclair; Jill M Norris; Shelagh J McConnell; Harvey Max Chochinov; Thomas F Hack; Neil A Hagen; Susan McClement; Shelley Raffin Bouchal Journal: BMC Palliat Care Date: 2016-01-19 Impact factor: 3.234
Authors: Shane Sinclair; Mia-Bernadine Torres; Shelley Raffin-Bouchal; Thomas F Hack; Susan McClement; Neil A Hagen; Harvey M Chochinov Journal: BMC Med Educ Date: 2016-07-11 Impact factor: 2.463
Authors: Claudia L Orellana-Rios; Lukas Radbruch; Martina Kern; Yesche U Regel; Andreas Anton; Shane Sinclair; Stefan Schmidt Journal: BMC Palliat Care Date: 2017-07-06 Impact factor: 3.234
Authors: Andrea Salvador Zaragozá; Ana Soto-Rubio; Laura Lacomba-Trejo; Selene Valero-Moreno; Marian Pérez-Marín Journal: Curr Psychol Date: 2021-06-25