open access

Vol 12, No 4 (2018)
Research paper
Published online: 2019-01-21
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Assessment of the needs of hospice patients and their relatives by the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire

Karolina Włostowska1, Anna Doboszyńska2, Elżbieta Trylińska-Tekielska3
·
Palliat Med Pract 2018;12(4):186-192.
Affiliations
  1. Clinical Nursing Department, Medical University of Warsaw, Ciołka 27 street, Warsaw, Poland
  2. Department od Nursing, University of Warmia and Mazury, Żołnierska 14c, Olsztyn, Poland
  3. College of Rehabilitation, Kasprzaka 49, Warsaw, Poland

open access

Vol 12, No 4 (2018)
Research paper
Published online: 2019-01-21

Abstract

Introduction: As the suffering affects both the patients with advanced illness and their family, the disease puts the closest ones under enormous stress. Palliative care, therefore, is offered also to relatives who demonstrate signs of adaptive disorders on confronting the situation. The aim of the study is to examine the needs in stationary hospice among the patients and their relatives.
Material and methods: The research group consisted of 338 persons — 181 palliative care patients and 157 relatives. The research took place in five stationary hospices in Poland. This study reconstructs the original version of Need Evaluation Questionnaire (NEQ) by Dr Marcello Tamburini questionnaire for the group of relatives in hospice.
Results: Almost half of the patients articulated the necessity to improve the control of the symptoms they were experiencing; slightly over 40% preferred to have a better information of the diagnosis and current progress of the illness. Almost half of the family members (45.9%) declared the need to improve the control of the symptoms, followed by a “demand” for a better knowledge (40%) about the diagnosis and the course of the illness. Least chosen was the information about insurance (10.8%) and better quality of services (13.4%).
Conclusions: Both groups of respondents demonstrated the similar intensity of needs associated with the perception of care. The most common need declared was one for a better control of the symptoms.
Palliat Med Pract 2018; 12, 4: 186–192

Abstract

Introduction: As the suffering affects both the patients with advanced illness and their family, the disease puts the closest ones under enormous stress. Palliative care, therefore, is offered also to relatives who demonstrate signs of adaptive disorders on confronting the situation. The aim of the study is to examine the needs in stationary hospice among the patients and their relatives.
Material and methods: The research group consisted of 338 persons — 181 palliative care patients and 157 relatives. The research took place in five stationary hospices in Poland. This study reconstructs the original version of Need Evaluation Questionnaire (NEQ) by Dr Marcello Tamburini questionnaire for the group of relatives in hospice.
Results: Almost half of the patients articulated the necessity to improve the control of the symptoms they were experiencing; slightly over 40% preferred to have a better information of the diagnosis and current progress of the illness. Almost half of the family members (45.9%) declared the need to improve the control of the symptoms, followed by a “demand” for a better knowledge (40%) about the diagnosis and the course of the illness. Least chosen was the information about insurance (10.8%) and better quality of services (13.4%).
Conclusions: Both groups of respondents demonstrated the similar intensity of needs associated with the perception of care. The most common need declared was one for a better control of the symptoms.
Palliat Med Pract 2018; 12, 4: 186–192

Get Citation

Keywords

needs, hospice care, Need Evaluation Questionnaire

About this article
Title

Assessment of the needs of hospice patients and their relatives by the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire

Journal

Palliative Medicine in Practice

Issue

Vol 12, No 4 (2018)

Article type

Research paper

Pages

186-192

Published online

2019-01-21

Page views

1018

Article views/downloads

781

DOI

10.5603/PMPI.2018.0009

Bibliographic record

Palliat Med Pract 2018;12(4):186-192.

Keywords

needs
hospice care
Need Evaluation Questionnaire

Authors

Karolina Włostowska
Anna Doboszyńska
Elżbieta Trylińska-Tekielska

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