TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceptions of Death Among Patients with Advanced Cancer Receiving Early Palliative Care and Their Caregivers
T2 - Results from a Mixed-Method Analysis
AU - Bigi, Sarah
AU - Ganfi, Vittorio
AU - Borelli, Eleonora
AU - Potenza, Leonardo
AU - Artioli, Fabrizio
AU - Eliardo, Sonia
AU - Mucciarini, Claudia
AU - Cottafavi, Luca
AU - Ferrari, Umberto
AU - Lombardo, Laura
AU - Cagossi, Katia
AU - Pietramaggiori, Alessandra
AU - Fantuzzi, Valeria
AU - Bernardini, Ilaria
AU - Cruciani, Massimiliano
AU - Cacciari, Cristina
AU - Odejide, Oreofe
AU - Adolfo Porro, Carlo
AU - Zimmermann, Camilla
AU - Efficace, Fabio
AU - Bruera, Eduardo
AU - Luppi, Mario
AU - Bandieri, Elena
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press.
PY - 2023/1/18
Y1 - 2023/1/18
N2 - BACKGROUND: Oncologists are often concerned that talking about death with patients may hinder their relationship. However, the views of death held by patients have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to describe the perception of death among patients with advanced cancer receiving early palliative care (EPC) and their caregivers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed on 2 databases: (a) transcripts of open-ended questionnaires administered to 130 cancer patients receiving EPC with a mean age of 68.4 years and to 115 primary caregivers of patients on EPC with a mean age of 56.8; (b) texts collected from an Italian forum, containing instances of web-mediated interactions between patients and their caregivers. RESULTS: Quantitative analysis shows that: (a) patients and caregivers are not afraid of speaking about death; (b) patients and caregivers on EPC use the word "death" significantly more than patients on standard oncology care (SOC) and their caregivers (P < .0001). For both participants on EPC and SOC, the adjectives and verbs associated with the word "death" have positive connotations; however, these associations are significantly more frequent for participants on EPC (verbs, Ps < .0001; adjectives, Ps < .003). Qualitative analysis reveals that these positive connotations refer to an actual, positive experience of the end of life in the EPC group and a wish or a negated event in the SOC group. CONCLUSIONS: EPC interventions, along with proper physician-patient communication, may be associated with an increased acceptance of death in patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers.
AB - BACKGROUND: Oncologists are often concerned that talking about death with patients may hinder their relationship. However, the views of death held by patients have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to describe the perception of death among patients with advanced cancer receiving early palliative care (EPC) and their caregivers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed on 2 databases: (a) transcripts of open-ended questionnaires administered to 130 cancer patients receiving EPC with a mean age of 68.4 years and to 115 primary caregivers of patients on EPC with a mean age of 56.8; (b) texts collected from an Italian forum, containing instances of web-mediated interactions between patients and their caregivers. RESULTS: Quantitative analysis shows that: (a) patients and caregivers are not afraid of speaking about death; (b) patients and caregivers on EPC use the word "death" significantly more than patients on standard oncology care (SOC) and their caregivers (P < .0001). For both participants on EPC and SOC, the adjectives and verbs associated with the word "death" have positive connotations; however, these associations are significantly more frequent for participants on EPC (verbs, Ps < .0001; adjectives, Ps < .003). Qualitative analysis reveals that these positive connotations refer to an actual, positive experience of the end of life in the EPC group and a wish or a negated event in the SOC group. CONCLUSIONS: EPC interventions, along with proper physician-patient communication, may be associated with an increased acceptance of death in patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers.
KW - advanced cancer
KW - communication
KW - death
KW - early palliative care
KW - qualitative research
KW - terminal care
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U2 - 10.1093/oncolo/oyac227
DO - 10.1093/oncolo/oyac227
M3 - Article
C2 - 36320128
AN - SCOPUS:85146531943
SN - 1083-7159
VL - 28
SP - e54-e62
JO - The oncologist
JF - The oncologist
IS - 1
ER -