Feasibility of Dignity Therapy Intervention on Cancer Patients in Charge to an Hospital Palliative Care Unit.

Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale Reggio Emilia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Advanced Cancer; Dignity

Treatments: Other: Dignity Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04738305

2016/0007193

Details and patient eligibility

About

Aim of the study was to asses feasibility and acceptability of a nurse delivered Dignity Therapy (DT) intervention on advanced cancer patients referring to an Hospital palliative care unit. To achieve this aim a mixed-method approach using before and after evaluation and semi-structured interviews has been used.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• advanced cancer patients
• over 3 months life expectancy
• referring to hospital palliative care unit
• performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group - ECOG) between 0 and 2
• awareness of being affected by an incurable cancer
• cognitive ability to read, understand and fill in a questionnaire in Italian
• willing and able to give written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• < 18 years old

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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50 participants in 1 patient group

Dignity Therapy Intervention

Other group

Description:

All the patients that accepted to participate in the study were provided with Dignity Therapy Intervention. A short-term intervention aimed at reducing existential distress of patients facing with advanced illness.

Treatment:

Other: Dignity Therapy