Positive Health Online

Abstract

YANG and colleagues, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Chung-Shan Medical College, Taiwan, Republic of China, have described a holistic outcome measurement for terminally ill cancer patients.

Background

This cross-sectional study examined holistic outcomes in terms of quality of life, patient satisfaction with the care offered, and cost of care, and also looked for different outcomes with different care patterns.

Methodology

123 terminally ill cancer patients and 101 nurses were recruited from 4 hospitals in Taiwan. Care patterns were categorized into four groups: hospice inpatients, hospice team consultation, home hospice care services, conventional acute care.

Results

Hospice inpatients had a higher quality of life, a higher level of satisfaction and a lower cost of care than patients in other groups. Home hospice care service users had better psychological wellbeing than others. Nurses experienced higher work satisfaction with hospice inpatients.

Conclusion

The study makes a contribution to identifying patterns of care for the terminally ill that provide the best patient outcomes in a holistic fashion.

References

Yang KP, Yin TJ, Lee LC, Hsu N, Huang JM. Holistic outcome measurement for terminally ill cancer patients in medical centers in Taiwan. Journal of Nursing Research 9 (3): 43-56, Jun 2001.