Comparison of the Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced Cancer:Based on Two Models of Palliative Care Ward and Home Palliative Care / 中国医学伦理学

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate whether there are differences of palliative care of advanced cancer pa-tients' life quality between the medical institutions care mode and home care mode and the causes. Methods:Col-lecting eligible advanced cancer patients in the palliative care wards of community health service center and in the home palliative care unit in a year and a half, among which 53 patients were in the ward and 60 patients were at home. Evaluations for life quality were conducted before palliative care and after 2 weeks of palliative care. Re-sultsThere were no differences before and after the intervention at palliative care wards in the aspect of role func-tion among patients ( P >0 . 05 ) , while there were improvements in all dimensions of life quality ( P <0 . 01 ) . There were improvements in all dimensions of life quality among patients at home ( P<0 . 01 ) . Other aspects were statistically significant (P<0. 01) except body functions, emotion functions, and somnipathy (P>0. 05) by com-paring the differences of the two groups. Patients at home had better role functions, social functions and less nausea and vomiting than patients at wards, and economic impact was bigger than that at wards(P<0. 01). Patients at wards had better conditions in recognition functions, general life quality, fatigue, pain, expiratory dyspnea, appe-tite loss, constipation and diarrhea than that at home(P<0. 01). Conclusion: Palliative care in either wards or home also can improve the life quality, and relieve symptoms and economic burdens.