BACKGROUND Respecting dignity is having a profound effect on the clinical relationship and the care framework for terminally ill patients in palliative care units, hospices and their own homes, with particular consequences for the emergency department. However, dignity is a vague and multifaceted concept that is difficult to measure. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to define the attributes...

BACKGROUND Dignity is a complex concept and there is little empirical research to show how older people view dignity. This study, using qualitative methods, explored the concept of dignity from the older person's perspective. METHODS 15 focus groups and two individual interviews were conducted in 12 different settings, with a total of 72 participants. Participants were purposively sampled to ...

In order to analyze what can plausibly be said about the relationship between dignity, human rights, and democracy, I will propose a basic assumption about human dignity (I) and then formulate five theses concerning the justification of democracy (II) which will allow me to conclude (III) that only when human rights are constitutionally established and effectively implemented democracy can be t...

Quality palliative care depends on a deep understanding of distress facing patients nearing death. Yet, many aspects of psychosocial, existential and spiritual distress are often overlooked. The aim of this study was to test a novel psychometric--the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI)--designed to measure various sources of dignity-related distress among patients nearing the end of life. Using sta...

BACKGROUND People nearing the end of life fear loss of dignity, and a central tenet of palliative care is to help people die with dignity. The Dignity Care Pathway (DCP) is an intervention based on the Chochinov theoretical model of dignity care. It has four sections: a manual, a Patient Dignity Inventory, reflective questions, and care actions. METHOD The feasibility and acceptability of the...

social engagement. This will not be simply a matter of income, although income is one way of measuring position in the hierarchy. Linking inequality in society with loss of dignity in individuals who are disadvantaged means that our set of social arrangements are crucial. By holding society responsible for human ills, including loss of dignity, are we not abrogating personal responsibility? The...

BACKGROUNDS In Oncology, little is known about dignity-related distress and the issues that influence the sense of dignity for patients. We validated the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) questionnaire in Italian patients on oncological active treatments. METHODS After the translation procedures, the PDI was administered to 266 patients along with other questionnaires to assess the psychometric...