• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.135-143
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• 2021

End-of-life patients experience physical, mental, social, and existential distress. While medical personnel provide medication and care to alleviate patients' distress, listening to and interacting with patients remains essential for understanding their psychological condition. The most important tool, though difficult to implement in practice, is end-of-life discussion (EOLD). EOLD has been shown to have positive effects on end-of-life treatment choices, achievement of patients' life goals, improvements in the quality of life of patients and their families, and the prevention of depression and complicated grief among bereaved family members. EOLD is not often undertaken in clinical practice, however, due to hesitancy among medical personnel and patients for various reasons. In order to conduct an EOLD, the patient's judgment, psychiatric illnesses such as delirium and depression, and psychological issues such as the side effects of psychotropic drugs, denial, and collusion must be evaluated. Open and honest conversation, treatment goal setting, the doctor's familiarity with the patient's background, and attentiveness when providing information are important elements for any dialogue. Meaning-centered psychotherapy was developed to alleviate the existential distress of cancer patients, and its application may promote EOLD. The future development of meaning-centered psychotherapy in practice and in research is expected to further promote EOLD.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate variables and construct paths that affect complicated grief. Methods: Participants in this cross-sectional, descriptive study were 164 bereaved spouses of cancer patients at least 12 months before the death. Data were collected from October 2016 to February 2017 using self-report structured questionnaires and were analyzed using IBM SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 20.0. Results: The variables affecting complicated grief of bereaved spouses of cancer patients were the quality of end-of-life care (${\gamma}=.15$, p<.001), preparedness for death (${\beta}=-.06$, p=.005), and coping with bereavement (${\beta}=-.24$, p<.001), whereas the quality of death and dying did not show any effects. Preparedness for death had multiple mediating effects in the relationship between the quality of end-of-life care and complicated grief (z=-2.20, p=.028), and in the relationship between the quality of end-of-life care and coping with bereavement (z=2.11, p=.035). Coping with bereavement had a mediating effect on the relationship between preparedness for death and complicated grief (z=-2.39, p=.017). Conclusion: This study revealed that preparedness for death and coping with bereavement play a prominent role in complicated grief. Therefore, it is important to help in preparing for death and enhancing coping with bereavement of spouses providing end-of-life care to cancer patients. In addition, investigating cultural differences in the relationship between the quality of end-of-life care and complicated grief is recommended.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2016

Purpose: This study reviewed what the location of death (LOD) means as an outcome and how to use LOD to assess end-of-life (EOL) care. This study also examined the reason why LOD is significant for the quality of EOL care. Methods: A literature review was performed, using LODs and home deaths as outcomes in the field of EOL care, and analyzed the findings associated with key fields in regards to LOD. Results: Palliative care research used LOD, in particular, hospital death (versus home death) as a significant outcome when examining cost savings, quality of life care, and patient and family preferences. Based on substantial evidence from previous research, home hospice or continuous palliative care in non-hospital settings (i.e. homes, nursing homes) have been designed and available for dying patients in developed countries. Conclusion: The LOD delivers practical significance as an outcome for diverse reasons. In-depth examination on LOD in South Korea is needed despite limitations to interpretation of its meaning in the country.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.449-458
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• 2017

This research is a descriptive correlation research for comprehending the end of life care stresses, work environment, and reduction of nurses in geriatric hospitals and analyzing the factors influencing their burnout. We recruited 195 nurses from 8 geriatric hospitals in B metropolitan city and collected data on the end of life care stress, work environment and reduction using organized questionnaires. The data were analyzed with SPSS WIN 21.0 program. The average grade of end life care stress was $3.84{\pm}0.56$, nursing work environment $3.25{\pm}0.60$, and burnout $2.93{\pm}0.52$. There was a positive correlation between the end of life care stress and reduction(r=.206, p=.004) but a negative correlation between nursing work environment and reduction(r=-.431, p<.001). The most influential factor on the reduction was nursing satisfaction(${\beta}=-.302$), followed by work environment(${\beta}=-.294$), age(${\beta}=.286$), duty style(${\beta}=-.17$), and end of life care stress(${\beta}=.164$). The overall explanatory power was 41.2%.These results suggest that in order to minimize the reduction of nurses in geriatric hospitals, the provision of a supportive work environment which enhances their pride and responsibility as a nurse and offers incentives is required with effective distribution of duties, development of the end of life nursing education and administrative tools for reducing their stress.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.232-241
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to do preliminary report of differences and similarities between Koreans residing in Korea and Korean Americans residing in America regarding their awareness of end-of-life care, attitudes toward advance care planning, truth telling, and preferred decision-making model. Methods: Two participating groups were selected: a) Koreans residing in Korea, and b) Koreans Americans who had resided in the United States for at least 20 years. 25 Koreans and 23 Korean Americans who were older than 65 years old participated in this study. They were asked via a self-administered questionnaire that contained demographic questions and questions about end-of-life decision making regarding awareness of end-of-life care, attitudes toward advance care planning, truth telling, and preferred decision-making model. A Chi-square was used to measure differences between Koreans' and Korean Americans planning. A P value of less than 0.5 was considered significant. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 18.0. Results: In some aspects of awareness of end of life care, attitudes toward advance care planning, and truth telling, both groups had similar opinions. However, there were significant differences between groups in the necessity of end of life documentation, preferential informing the truth, and preferred decision making model. Conclusion: There were similarities and differences regarding some end of life issues between the Koreans and the Korean Americans.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.255-262
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the view of life and death among ICU nurses and to analyze the problems related to end-of-life care in the current ICUs. Methods: A descriptive study design was used. The participants were 975 nurses working in the intensive care units of 16 general hospitals. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from August to December in 2016 and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Results: As a result of a correlation analysis of the data, Death perception had a significant positive correlation with EOL of nursing attitudes(r=.100, p=.002), and negative correlation with EOL stress care(r=-.221, p=<.001). The regression model explained for individual characteristics in the model, age(${\beta}=.126$, p<.001) and death perception(${\beta}=.182$, p<.001), Satisfaction of the EOL care(${\beta}=.173$, p<.001), Healing training needs on the EOL(${\beta}=-.144$, p<.001) were the most influential factors for EOL stress. Conclusion: Results reveal that ICU nurses have a moderate level of EOL stress, and that individual, age, death perception, Satisfaction of the EOL care, Healing traning needs on the EOL relevant in ICU nurses' EOL stress. Programs or interventions to reduce EOL stress and to should be developed taking into account these multidimensional factors.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.335-373
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• 2014

According to one Medicare report, in the US, total federal spending on health care expends almost 18 percent of the nation's GDP, about double what most industrialized nations spend on health care. And in 2011, Medicare spending reached close to $554 billion, which amounted to 21 percent of the total spent on U.S. health care in that year. Of that $554 billion, Medicare spent 28 percent, or about $170 billion, on patients' last six months of life. So what are the reasons of this high cost in EOL care and its possible solutions? Much spendings of Medicare on End-of-Life care for the terminally ill/chronically ill in the US has led health economics experts to assess the characteristics of the care. Decades of study shows that EOL care is usually supply-sensitive and poor in cost-effectiveness. The volume of care is sensitively depending on the supply of resources, rather than the severity of illness or preferences of patients. This means at the End-of-Life care, the medical resources are being overused. On the other hand, opposed to the common assumption, "The more care the better utility", the study shows that the outcome is very poor. Actually the patient preference and concerns are quite the opposite from what intense EOL care would bring about. This study analyzes the reasons for the supply-sensitiveness of EOL care. It can be resulted from the common misconception about the intense care and the outcome, physicians' mission for patients, lack of End-of-Life Care Decision which helps the patients choose their own preferred treatment intensity. It also could be resulted from physicians' fear of legal liabilities, and the management strategy since the hospitals are also seeking for financial benefits. This study suggests the possible solutions for over-treatment at the End-of-Life resulting from supply-sensitiveness. Solutions can be sought in two aspects, legal implementation and management strategy. In order to implement advance directive properly, active ethics education for physicians to change their attitude toward EOL care and more conversations about end-of-life care between physicians and patients is crucial, and incentive system for the physicians who actively have the conversations with patients will also help. Also, the general education towards the public is also important in the long run, and easy and official advance directive registry system-such as online registry-has to be built and utilized more widely. Alternative strategies in management are also needed. For example, the new strategic cost management and management education, such as cutting unnecessary costs and resetting values as medical providers have to be considered. In order to effectively resolve the problem in EOL care for the terminally ill/chronically ill and provide better experience to the patients, first of all, the misconception and the wrong conventional wisdom among doctors, patients, and the government have to be overcome. And then there should be improvements in systems and cultures of the EOL care.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.294-303
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects end-of-life care education using self-reflection diary on spirituality, death orientation, and attitudes toward nursing care of the dying patients in nursing students. This study adopted nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design and the subjects consisted of 69 in the experimental group and 68 in the control group. The education was performed for 100 minutes a session, once a week for 12 weeks. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of general characteristics, spirituality, death orientation, and attitudes toward nursing care of the dying patients. Collected data was analyzed for frequency, percentage, ${\chi}^2$ test, Fisher's exact test and t-test using SPSS/WIN 21.0 computed program. There were statistically significant differences in spirituality and attitudes toward nursing care of the dying patients between the experimental group and the control group. Regarding death orientation, our result showed no significant differences between two groups. These findings suggest that end-of-life care education using self-reflection diary was effective in enhancing the spirituality and attitudes toward nursing care of the dying patients in nursing students.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2023

With the implementation of Act on Hospice and Palliative Care and Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End of Life, interests of the general public on self-determination right and dignified death of patients have increased markedly in Korea. However, "self-determination" on medical care is misunderstood as decision not to sustain life, and "dignified death" as terminating life before suffering from disease in terminal stage. This belief leads that physician-assisted suicide should be accommodated is being proliferated widely in the society even without accepting euthanasia. Artificially terminating the life of a human is an unethical act even though there is any rational or motivation by the person requesting euthanasia, and there is agreement thereof has been reached while there are overseas countries that allow euthanasia. Given the fact that the essence of medical care is to enable the human to live their lives in greater comfort by enhancing their health throughout their lives, physician-assisted suicide should be deemed as one of the means of euthanasia, not as a means of dignified death. Accordingly, institutional organization and improvement of the quality of hospice palliative care to assist the patients suffering from terminal stage or intractable diseases in putting their lives in order and to more comfortably accept the end of life physically, mentally, socially, psychologically and spiritually need to be implemented first to ensure their dignified death.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was performed to explore the preference for care near the end-of-life of nurses who had been working in an acute hospital. Methods: Data were collected by using PCEOL-K which was originally developed in U.S. and standardized into Korean version. Two hundred nurses from one acute hospital who agreed to participate in the study filled out questionnaires and 177 questionnaires were analyzed for the study results. Results: Relatively positive preference toward spirituality and pain control and negative preference toward decision making by health care professional were uncovered. Conclusion: Nurses consider patient's autonomy, pain control and spirituality as important factors at the end-of-life care. Further studies regarding the preference for the care near the end-of-life of diverse groups such as patients, doctors, and family members are called for.