Mariona Guerrero-Torrelles
Institut Català d’Oncologia and Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona
Spain
AIDD-A (Advanced Intervention Desire to Die): Assessment and Answer
Background
The Desire to Die (DTD) is very prevalent in patients at the end of life. Due to symptoms, such as, feeling like a burden, loss of meaning in life, loss of functionality, loss of perceived dignity or other concerns, DTD is expressed by some terminally ill patients. It has been suggested that the mere clinical assessment has a potential therapeutic effect on the patient, lessening emotional distress by helping the patient to share and ventilate his or her concerns, worries, and fears with a specifically trained palliative care health professional. Assessing DTD properly could have a benefit for the patient. However, there is not enough evidence to decide which would be the best way (context, wording, approach) to assess DTD. Therefore, the objective of this project is to analyze the literature recommendations regarding DTD assessment and reach an experts’ consensus for a manual that would include: a scheduled interview for multidimensional assessment (including DTD assessment) and a guide of recommendations on how to react when the patient expresses a DTD. That would be the first step for further research regarding its therapeutic applicability.
Methods
Literature review and international experts’ conferences and nominal groups for the final consensus.
Expected results
Consensus on a manual in which clinicians would find a scheduled interview for patient’s assessment and a guide with recommendations on how to react to DTD.
Conclusion
This project is feasible and would make it easier for a) clinicians to face a patient that expresses DTD and b) future research regarding the effectiveness and clinical benefit of a proactive assessment of the DTD.