Threats to the Dignity of People with Advanced Illness Who Are Treated in Emergency Departments: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND

Dignity is a key element in end-of-life care. Patients with advanced illness attend the emergency department to seek symptom relief but may find their dignity under threat in these services.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study was to explore the threats to dignity perceived by people with advanced illnesses who are treated in emergency departments.

METHODS

A descriptive qualitative study was designed for which 18 patients with advanced illnesses were interviewed after being seen in an emergency department. The study complied with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki for medical research involving human subjects.

RESULTS

Two themes were developed from the data analysis that shed light on how patients with advanced illnesses perceive threats to their dignity when seen in emergency departments: (1) "when care focused on diagnosis and treatment limits the dignity of the patient with advanced illness" and (2) "the social dimension of dignity in people with advanced illness in emergency departments".

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the structural, organizational, and care characteristics of emergency departments may pose a threat to the dignity of people with advanced illnesses who attend the emergency department. Family members, professionals, and other patients can both guarantee and threaten the dignity of people with advanced illnesses when they are treated in emergency departments.