Guo, Qiaohong; Chochinov, Harvey Max; McClement, Susan; Thompson, Genevieve; Hack, Tom
Effective patient-family communication can reduce patients' psychosocial distress and relieve family members' current suffering and their subsequent grief but terminally ill patients and their family members often experience great difficulty in communicating their true feelings, concerns, and needs to each other. The aims of this study were to develop a novel means of facilitating meaningful conversations for palliative patients and family members, coined Dignity Talk and to explore the anticipated benefits and challenges. The questions were endorsed by a majority of participants who felt that Dignity Talk would be valuable in promoting conversations, enhancing family connections and relationships, enhancing patient sense of value and dignity, promoting effective interaction, and attending to unfinished business.