A systematic review of patient-reported dignity and dignified care during acute hospital admission.
Abdul-Ganiyu Fuseini, Lenore Ley, Helen Rawson and 2 others
PMID 35841334WHAT IT FOUND
Hospitalized patients' dignity varied widely by country and ward.
Communication, privacy, and dignity therapy were associated with better dignity; depression, anxiety, pain, and functional impairment were associated with worse dignity.
Key findings
01The review included 25 articles reporting quantitative studies of hospitalized patients.
02Dignity levels varied by location, with severe loss reported in many Asian studies.
03Dignity therapy and communication training were associated with improved dignity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review could not combine results statistically because included studies used different dignity measures and scoring criteria. Most included studies were cross-sectional, so they can show association but not cause and effect. Many studies were in cancer or palliative populations, so findings may not apply to all acute hospital patients. The review did not exclude poor-quality studies, and many articles were of fair quality. Some included studies used unvalidated or study-specific instruments.
Declared interests
Deakin University supported the work, including a PhD scholarship for the first author.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the review as showing that any intervention will improve dignity in all acute hospital patients. Most included studies were cross-sectional, many samples were cancer or palliative populations, and the review could not pool results.