The relationship of pain, uncertainty, and hope in Taiwanese lung cancer patients

Abstract

The impact of cancer pain on the quality of life of lung cancer patients is obvious, but the relationship of cancer pain to uncertainty and level of hope in cancer patients is not clear and has been the subject of only a few studies. The purpose of this study is to look at the relationship of pain to uncertainty and hope in Taiwanese lung cancer patients. A crosssectional and descriptive correlational design was used in this study. A convenience sample of lung cancer patients was recruited from chest medicine and oncology inpatient units at three teaching hospitals in the Taipei area of Taiwan. The research instruments included the Brief Pain Inventory-Chinese version (BPI-C), Mishel's Uncertainty Illness Scale (MUIS), and the Herth Hope Index (HHI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression. A total of 164 subjects were recruited, including 79 patients with cancer pain and 85 patients without cancer pain. The major findings were: 1) there were significant differences in level of uncertainty and level of hope between patients with cancer pain and those without. Patients with cancer pain reported higher levels of uncertainty and lower levels of hope than did patients without cancer pain; 2) pain severity was not significantly related to level of uncertainty; however, pain interference with daily life was positively correlated to level of uncertainty; 3) both pain severity and pain interference were negatively correlated with level of hope; and 4) after controlling for pain severity and pain interference, uncertainty was a significant predictor of level of hope. Important implications for future studies are discussed.

Communicating About Prognosis: Ethical Responsibilities of Pediatricians and Parents

“…Similarly, a study of surrogate decision-makers for patients receiving mechanical ventilation revealed that 93% of surrogates considered avoidance of discussions about prognosis to be an unacceptable way to maintain hope. 34 Others have reported that uncertainty about one' s medical situation can result in a diminished sense of hope 35 ; this research argues for the therapeutic power of information, even if it represents bad news. Adult patients with endstage renal disease, for example, felt more empowered about their own medical decisions and more hopeful when they received prognostic information.…”

Avaliação do nível de esperança de vida de idosos renais crônicos em hemodiálise

“…In relation to kidney transplantation, the great demand for it may be explained by the meaning attributed to the procedure by a large part of patients who believe it will cure their renal disease (15) . Nonetheless, the number of patients included on the kidney transplant waiting list is larger than the number of those who in fact …”

Research Participation Experiences of Parents of Children with Cancer Who Were Asked about their Child's Prognosis

“…This finding is consistent with previous work that suggests that uncertainty often underlies distress, and that information, even when difficult, can allay one's worst fears. 29,30 This situation may best be remedied, not by altering the nature of the research, but by helping parents to access the information they need.…”