2012 Volume 26 Issue 3 Pages 61-70
Abstract
Aim：The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the quality of life of cancer patients and their partnership with their primary family caregiver, as well as the effects on their partnership.
Method：The subjects were 28 pairs（56 people）of both in- and outpatients and their families who received a “structured interview.”
The assessment was carried out using character, WHOQOL26 and the Family Communication Scale for both the patients and their families；Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale for the patients；and Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer for the families.
The criterion was the sum of the positive communication points, and the analysis was based on the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis（p＜0.05）.
Result：The data analysis was done on 25 pairs of patient and primary caregiver（50 people）, and all of the patients had been receiving chemotherapy. The analysis revealed that partnership has a positive correlation with the patient’s QOL（r＝0.504, p＜0.05）and the family’s QOL（r＝0.615, p＜0.01）, which indicates there is a correlation between patient’s QOL and family’s QOL.
The impact factors on partnership were “the patient is pessimistic”, “the primary family caregiver’s burden”, “the patient’s negative communication”, “the primary family caregiver’s negative communication” and “the primary family caregiver’s support”.
Discussion：This study on the correlation between QOL for cancer patients and their primary family caregiver shows a great need for practical nursing, in which the patient and their family are considered as a system. The result also revealed that in order to encourage and build patient partnership with the primary caregiver, it is important for nurses to thoroughly understand the character of the patient’s family, which can influence partnership.
It is also important to give a helping hand to alleviate “patient’s pessimism” and “family’s burden”.
Nursing assistance plays an important role to mediate and establish communication between patients and their family and a support system for primary family caregivers should be established.
