A study on the attitude toward dying and hospice

Kim, Young Uck; Lee, Jung Hoon; Lee, Jong Bum; Park, Byung Tak; Cheung, Seung Duk; Kim, Myung Se; Kim, Hoo Ja

Abstract

This research is focused on the attitudes toward dying and hospice. 4subjects groups are Ca. patient, Ca. patient's family, elderly, medical personnel. A 40 questionnaire was filled out by each participant. For this study chi-square and T-test was done. The results were as follows: 1. Telling the truth 61.2% of all subject groups agreed upon telling the impending death. About 40% of elderly group and cancer patient group were disagreed which is the highest percentage in all groups. Particularly medical personnel group were remarkably high in telling the truth. 2. Attitudes of medical personnels 43.3% of all groups agreed upon medical personnels prefer to avoid dying patient. In medical personnel group. 44% of respondents disagreed comparably higher than other group, But 37.3% of medical personnel agreed. It showed that medical personnels admitted their negative feelings toward dying patient in considerable degree. 3. Attitudes toward mechanical assistance for life-expanding or hopeless patient. 44.8% of all groups disagreed upon mechanical assistance for hopeless case. Elderly (54.9%) and medical personnels (50%) disagreed, which is higher than cancer patient (33.3%) and (22.8%) of cancer patient's family. 4. Special facility and educational preparation for dying patient. 67.4% of all groups agreed upon the needs of special facility for dying, 81.3% of medical personnels agreed which is highest percentage in all group. 5. Attitudes of family members of dying patient. 82.3% of all groups agreed upon the family members feel annoyed at dying patient. 34% of cancer patient's family member and 48% of cancer patients group agreed, but elderly group showed highest percentage (84%). 6. Perception of dying patient about imminent death. 58.3% of all group thought dying patients are aware of their impending death even though they had not been told. 77.3% of medical personnel agreed which is highest percentage in all group.