Exploration of Distress Symptoms and Medical Interventions in Patients With Terminal Cancer in Hospice Shared Care

Background: Hospice shared care is a model of care widely used in patients with terminal cancer. Appropriate interventions to improve related symptoms should be provided during disease progression through the end of life. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the related symptoms and to compare symptom severity before and after the implementation of hospice shared care and medical care interventions. Methods: Fifty patients with terminal cancer were enrolled in this longitudinal, quasi-experimental research. Inclusion criteria included having an expected life span of < 6 months and agreeing to enter hospice shared care. Result: The three most-frequently noted physical symptoms were, in rank order: “pain”, “weakness”, and “dyspnea”. In terms of severity, “pain” was the most severe, followed by “weakness” and “disturbance of sleep”. The three most-frequently noted psychological symptoms were, in rank order: “depression”, “worry about the disease”, and “afraid of dragging others down”. In terms of severity, “depression” was the most severe, followed by “anxiety” and “worry about the disease”. The frequency and severity of the top-3 social and spiritual distress symptoms were, in rank order: “unfinished wish”, “economic difficulties”, and “painlessness”. During the study period, the severity of physical symptoms improved gradually, while the severity of psychological symptoms improved significantly. The top-3 items in the original medical team’s hospice-care interventions were, in rank order: “tube care”, “laboratory test”, and “wound care” in the non-pharmacological category; “symptom control medication”, “antibiotic injection”, and “intravenous fluid infusion” in the pharmacological category; and “cognitive clarification of the prognosis condition”, “do not conduct resuscitation discussions and signing”, and “emotional stress consoling” in the problem-coordination and interview categories. The interventions implemented by the hospice specialist team included “emotional stress interview”, “team communication”, and “cognitive clarification of prognosis condition” in the problem coordination and interview categories, and “massage”, “consultation”, and “nursing advice” in the non-pharmacological category. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: The symptoms identified in this study provide clinical staff with a reference for the rapid assessment of patients with terminal-stage cancer. Manpower from various professional fields are committed to providing diversified services in the care teams, which positively affect the control of related symptoms. The experience presented in this article may be used as a reference to promote the hospice shared care model.