Człowiek w obliczu choroby nowotworowej i śmierci

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Człowiek w obliczu choroby nowotworowej i śmierci

Journal Title: Innowacje w Pielęgniarstwie i Naukach o Zdrowiu - Year 2017, Vol 2, Issue 2

Abstract

Introduction. Current definition by WHO from 2002 defines palliative care as a way of acting that aims at enhancing the quality of patients’ and their families’ lives who face problems concerning a life-threatening disease. Those actions include: preventing and soothing pain, early identification of any problems, the best possible assessment and pain healing combined with curing other physical, psycho-social and mental problems. Palliative care is only to a small extent based on scientific evidence as it is associated with numerous practical, ethical and emotional problems. There is an ethical imperative to provide patients with the best possible care. Nonetheless, the only possible way to improve the quality of palliative care is to conduct such scientific research and draw right conclusions that would consequently lead to the improvement of patient care and therefore to the improvement of patients’ lives. The paper describes the nature of cancer, characterizes particular issues occurring at its advanced stage and defines the character and scope of palliative care. It also covers the quality of medical care at the palliative wards which significantly affects lives of the patients who are treated there. Aim. This paper is aimed at evaluating the quality of palliative care provided at a full-time ward of a hospice and defining the factors that are crucial for improving the quality of life of the sick as well as drawing right conclusions which will then result in improving palliative care and the quality of patients’ lives. Results. The analysis of our research regards the assessment of the quality of medical care at the hospice ward and its effect on the quality of patients’ lives. Material and methods. The research was based on a survey with the use of a questionnaire prepared by the author. The research included two groups of patients. The first group consisted of relatives of the patients treated at the full-time ward of the hospice (50 people). The second one consisted of volunteers (52 people). Conclusions. The improvement of the quality of care as well as of patients’ lives is affected by efficient and fast work of an interdisciplinary team that consists of a doctor, a nurse, a priest, a psychologist, a physiotherapist and a volunteer. The team is supposed to react quickly to the patient’s complaints and problems. The research analysis has indicated that the quality of the medical care at the full-time hospice ward is high level one. Such a high level is worth being sustained as it significantly affects patients’ quality of lives and their better functioning in a difficult life situation.

Authors and Affiliations

Maria Żygowska, Grażyna Chojnacka-Kowalewska

Keywords

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EP ID EP310675
DOI 10.21784/IwP.2017.007
Views 112
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