The Effects of Hospice Care in Public Health Centers on Quality of Life of Terminal Cancer Patients and Care-giver Burden of Families / 農村醫學 地域保健

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to find out the effects of hospice care in public health centers by evaluating the quality of life of terminal cancer patients and care-giver burden of their families. METHODS: From January to December 2007, 32 terminal cancer patients and their familes were selected as subjects for this study based on the research criteria. The data were collected using the questionnaire along with interviews. Instruments used for this study were C-QOL(Cancer-Quality of Life) that was developed by Lee(2007) and care-giver burden of families that was developed by Seo et al(1993). The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage and paired t-test. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant differences in the global overall quality of life between before and after receiving the comprehensive hospice care(t=18.997, p=.000). There was a statistically significant differences in the level of the quality of life of the hospice patients in physical aspects(t=21.196, p=.000), in emotional aspects(t=11.803, p=.000), in social aspects(t=24.310, p=.000) between before and after receiving the comprehensive hospice care. There was a statistically significant differences in care-giver burden of families between before and after receiving the comprehensive hospice care(t=36.468, p=.000). CONCLUSIONS: Hospice care in the public health center could be considered as an effective intervention to improve general quality of life of the terminally ill out patients and to decrease of care-giver burden of families with terminal cancer patients. It is recommended that hospice care in public health centers for the terminally ill out clients and their families should be increased.