Uncertainty in Illness in Palliative Care: an Intervention for Family Caregivers

Nursing Intervention to Manage Uncertainty in Illness in Palliative Care: Feasibility and Acceptability Study in Family Caregivers

Background: The increase of chronic diseases has reached an increase in the suffering of advanced diseases and an inability of health care systems to give access to the population that suffers them. In this context are people with advanced cancer who are in palliative care and the family caregivers. Uncertainty in illness in palliative care and quality of life are two concepts that are altered in the patient's family caregiver in palliative care. Objective: to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a nursing intervention to reduce the uncertainty in illness and improve the quality of life of family caregivers of patients with cancer in palliative care. Methodology: Phase II clinical trial, the ratio of recruitment, follow-up of participants as well as satisfaction with the intervention will be evaluated as primary outcomes. As secondary outcomes, the possible effect of the intervention on the uncertainty in illness and the quality of life of the family caregiver will be evaluated. This study will be carry out in a health care institution in Medellin-Colombia.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being the person responsible for the care of the person in palliative care most of the time
• Being over 18 years of age;
• Caring for a person who has a diagnosis of cancer stage IV, who is receiving palliative treatment for the disease and has an expectation longer than one month of life (determined by the physician)
• Being able to communicate in Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Being included in another institutional study of an educational nature
• Not knowing how to read
• Caring for another person with cancer before
• Have a significant cognitive disability