Assessment of quality of life, pain and effectiveness of treatment in palliative care patients.

Purpose: Evaluation of quality of life, appraisal of pain quality and intensity, assessment of treatment and care effectiveness in palliative care patients treated at the in-patient Palliative Care Department in Czestochowa Province Hospital.

Material and methods: The study was performed in 50 randomly chosen patients at the in-patient Palliative Care Department in Czestochowa Province Hospital. The studied group comprised 22 women and 28 men. The trial lasted since October 2003 till April 2004 and this was longitudinal study. At the first assessment patients filled Modified Sheet Pain Assessment, Support Team Assessment Schedule (STAS) and Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL). At the second, third and fourth appraisal patients filled RSCL and STAS.

Results: In patients surveyed by STAS at the second assessment 52% of patients achieved very high scores (poor effectiveness of treatment and care), 32% high scores - unsatisfactory treatment and care, 15% average results (average treatment and care). Results of RSCL indicate for decrease in physical activity and global quality of life of terminal patients. At the fourth assessment after 4 weeks of the treatment nearly 80% patients assessed their physical state as low.

Conclusions: The results indicate that patients have poor performance status, no effective treatment is provided, psychological state is significantly impaired, and patients were forced to resign from social life because of cancer progression.