The meaning of dignity when the patients' bodies are falling apart.
Vibeke Bruun Lorentsen, Dagfinn Nåden, Berit Sæteren
PMID 31367442WHAT IT FOUND
Advanced cancer patients at end of life described uncontrollable bodily changes as threatening dignity and identity.
They linked movement, grooming, rituals, and meaningful activities to feeling alive and preserving dignity.
Key findings
01Patients described their unpredictable, changing bodies as threatening their identity and dignity, and as frightening.
02Patients said being active and involved was important for dignity, and they defied pain and fatigue to feel their bodies were alive.
03Patients tried to preserve dignity through mental and psychosocial care, including rituals, painting, and imagining their body as a home.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study included a small sample from one hospice unit, so the themes may not represent other settings or patients. Most participants were women, and the authors noted results might differ with more men. Observations were short because longer observation was judged ethically unsafe for weak patients. Participants had to speak Norwegian and be mentally aware of time and location, so patients with cognitive impairment or language barriers were not included. The researchers' pre-understanding and theoretical perspective shaped interpretation, and no intervention was tested.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that movement, grooming, rituals, or nurse encouragement improve dignity or health. The study explored patients' experiences in one hospice and tested no intervention, so it cannot show that these approaches cause better outcomes.