Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
05:30
Laparoscopic Radical Gastrectomy for Remnant Gastric Cancer
Published on: October 31, 2025
The Patient Dignity Inventory: applications in the oncology setting
Harvey Max Chochinov1, Susan E McClement, Thomas F Hack
1Department of Psychiatry, Manitoba Palliative Care Research Unit, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. harvey.chochinov@cancercare.mb.ca
Journal of Palliative Medicine
|September 6, 2012
Summary
The Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) helps clinicians identify patient distress, facilitating targeted support. This study shows the PDI is useful in clinical practice for improving care for cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychosocial Oncology
- Clinical Psychology
- Palliative Care
Background:
- The Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) is a 25-item instrument to identify distress in terminally ill patients.
- It aims to guide psychosocial clinicians but its clinical utility is unexamined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the clinical utility of the PDI among psychosocial oncology professionals.
- To determine how the PDI could be used across the cancer care spectrum.
Main Methods:
- Psychosocial oncology clinicians across Canada used the PDI between October 2008 and January 2009.
- Clinicians provided feedback on their experience using the PDI with patients.
Main Results:
- Ninety clinicians submitted 429 feedback questionnaires.
- The PDI revealed previously unreported concerns in 76% of cases and facilitated work in 81% of cases.
- Clinicians found the PDI useful for identifying distress and informing targeted therapeutic responses, particularly in active treatment or palliation.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests various clinical applications for the PDI in cancer care.
- Further research involving patients is recommended to explore the PDI's utility directly.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
Ethical principles are essential in guiding nurses to fulfill their responsibilities, focusing on the quality of nursing care and decision-making. These principles, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and fidelity, shape the ethical framework within healthcare settings.
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
01:25Ethical Standards I
The American Nurses Association (ANA) created and implemented the first nationally accepted Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. The Code of Ethics is a living document regularly updated by the ANA and establishes an ethical standard that is non-negotiable for nurses in all roles and settings.
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...
01:27Ethical Issues
Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
01:23Ethical Standards II
Ethical standards are the backbone of nursing practice, guiding nurses as they interact with patients, families, and colleagues. These standards are crucial for providing safe, empathetic care centered on the patient's needs.
Nurses are entrusted with upholding various ethical principles and standards. Nurses forge solid therapeutic relationships using trust, empathy, autonomy, confidentiality, and professional competence.
Confidentiality is crucial, embodying respect for individual privacy and...
Nurses are entrusted with upholding various ethical principles and standards. Nurses forge solid therapeutic relationships using trust, empathy, autonomy, confidentiality, and professional competence.
Confidentiality is crucial, embodying respect for individual privacy and...
01:17Ethical Dilemmas I
Ethical dilemmas in nursing are of utmost importance, as they often arise from the tension between adhering to core ethical principles and the practical realities of healthcare delivery. These dilemmas require nurses to navigate complex situations where competing ethical considerations pull them in different directions.
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
01:13Patient-centered Care
Patient-centered care involves delivering care beyond inpatient hospitalization. Reflective practice can enhance a patient-centered approach. Reflective practice is a process of reasoning that considers all aspects of the present situation, including practicalities, learning from personal practice, and consideration of patient needs. Patients appreciate care decisions made while considering their input. Involving the patient in their care provides the patient with a sense of contribution rather...