A Hope-enhancement Instrument for Palliative Care Cancer Patients

Abstract

Aim Millions of new cancer cases are diagnosed each year. ‎Patients often become hopeless during the disease. This study aimed to develop a short-intervention instrument targeted to raise hope in cancer patients. Methods Using a panel of experts, an instrument was developed, which consisted of 11 counseling items. The instrument was applied to a sample of 153 palliative care cancer patients randomized into three groups (G1: instrument applied by Rater 1, G2: control, and G3: instrument applied by Rater 2). Application of the instrument required 20-30 minutes. Using the Herth Hope Index (HHI) scores as the main outcome, changes over time (baseline, 1-hour, and one-week) were evaluated. Results The mean baseline HHI scores were 41.38‎±4.46. ‎The HHI scores were statistically similar at the ‎baseline (p>0.05) but significantly different at one hour and one week in favor of the G1 and G3 groups (p<0.001). In G1, the HHI significantly increased from baseline to one-hour measurements (t=-12.413, ‎p<0.001) and remained unchanged at one week (t=1.088, ‎p=0.282). Similarly, there was a significant increase in the HHI scores from baseline to one-hour ‎measurements in G3 (t=-9.144, p<0.001), which remained unchanged between one hour and one week (t=-0.099, p=0.921). Conclusion This study demonstrated the effectiveness of a structured, short counseling intervention in increasing ‎hope among palliative care cancer patients.