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Portuguese Patient Dignity Question: A cross-sectional study of palliative patients cared for in primary care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2020

Mafalda Lemos Caldas*
Affiliation:
USF Travessa da Saúde, ACeS Loures Odivelas, Portugal Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
Miguel Julião
Affiliation:
Equipa Comunitária de Suporte em Cuidados Paliativos de Sintra, Portugal
Ana João Santos
Affiliation:
Departamento de Epidemiologia, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal Centro de Investigação em Saúde Pública, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
Harvey Max Chochinov
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Care Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada
*
Author for correspondence: Mafalda Lemos Caldas, USF Travessa da Saúde, ACeS Loures Odivelas, Portugal, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal, E-mail: mafalda@caldas.pt

Abstract

Introduction

The Patient Dignity Question (PDQ) is a clinical tool developed with the aim of reinforcing the sense of personhood and dignity, enabling health care providers (HCPs) to see patients as people and not solely based on their illness.

Objective

To study the acceptability and feasibility of the Portuguese version of the PDQ (PDQ-PT) in a sample of palliative care patients cared for in primary care (PC).

Method

A cross-sectional study using 20 palliative patients cared for in a PC unit. A post-PDQ satisfaction questionnaire was developed.

Results

Twenty participants were included, 75% were male; average age was 70 years old. Patients found the summary accurate, precise, and complete; all said that they would recommend the PDQ to others and want a copy of the summary placed on their family physician's medical chart. They felt the summary heightened their sense of dignity, considered it important that HCPs have access to the summary and indicated that this information could affect the way HCPs see and care for them. The PDQ-PT's took 7 min on average to answer, and 10 min to complete the summary.

Significance of results

The PDQ-PT is well accepted and feasible to use with palliative patients in the context of PC and seems to be a promising tool to be implemented. Future trials are now warranted.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2020

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