The decision-making process of terminal cancer patients and their families for admission to a hospice ward

• Main Authors: Ding,Ya-Lan, 丁雅嵐
• Other Authors: Chin-Mi Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/79558528764532562730

碩士 === 國防醫學院 === 護理研究所 === 98 === The purpose of this study was to explore the decisional process of the cancer patients and their families might have during the stay in the hospice ward, what situations they faced before entering into the hospice ward, and what considerations they might have for decision making. This study was conducted in the hospice ward of a hospital in northern Taiwan during the period from January to the end of April in 2010. The eligible research subjests were selected by purposive sampling, until data saturation. There were seven terminal-cancer patients and four their family members participating in this study. Qualitative research method was adopted in this study. The semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data. The entire interview process was tape recorded so that data can be tested in a later date. Content analysis method was utilized to analyze the data. The results showed that family members and cancer patients went through three stages in their decision-making process: The first category was the pre-decision-making stage - caughting in the whirlpool of disease, which includes three themes: “suffering the illness distress together”, “sympathizing with each other’s hard work”, and “mitigating the distress through hospice care”. The second category was the middle stage of decision-making - struggling between the myths and expectations. There were two themes included in this category: “having myth and expectation of admitting hospice ward”, and “convincing self to face death”. Finally, post stage of decision- making - a evaluate process for the decision- making, determining to face the matter of life and death. Two major themes were “making the decision of admitting hospice ward” and “evaluating the decision of admitting hospice ward”. The results have been provided to the healthcare professionals, so that they might more understand the decision-making process that the cancer patients and their families have gone through. It is strongly recommended that the medical teams strengthen their evaluation on the preferences of those patients and their families admitted to the hospice ward. It is suggested that they provide palliative-care information as systematic as possible and as soon as possible, that they initiatively assist and support those concerned, and that they clarify the fallacy of concept about the hospice so as to reduce the fear and the myth that patients and their families suffer from in their decision-making process. That is, those patients can be admitted to the hospice ward and they can accept the palliative care as soon as possible.