Hope: A Critical Determinant in Rendering Care

Title: Is Hope a Critical Determinant in Rendering Non-essential Care to a Terminally Ill Patient: A Global Multi-Centre Study.

Abstract:

In order to determine if a patient's hope should be used a critical determinant in rendering non-essential care to a terminally ill patient, this study was undertaken at hospitals in 12 different countries. Each site recruited 25 cancer patients whose life expectancy was under 6 months. Inclusion criteria involved choosing participants who were diagnosed as needing non-essential periodontal surgery (a long term care therapy fore the treatment of periodontal disease.) This was a prospective qualitative study designed to determine cultural differences in the participant's perception of hope and the effect on the dentists' decisions about rendering treatment. All participants were aware of their terminal prognosis. With this knowledge, participants were given a choice as to whether or not they wanted to receive treatment. Surveys were administered to the participant and treating dentist both prior to and post informed consent discussion. When there were no medical contraindications to surgery, the surgery was performed when desired by the patients. We concluded that due to cultural variation, hope is one factor that should be considered in some cultures in the professional and clinical decision-making process for determining end of long-term care treatment decisions for terminal patients.