Michelle Haaksman, Laurien Ham, Linda Brom, Arnold Baars, Jean-Paul van Basten, Ben E E M van den Borne, Mathijs P Hendriks, Wouter K de Jong, Hanneke W M van Laarhoven, Anne S R van Lindert, Caroline M P W Mandigers, Annemieke van der Padt-Pruijsten, Tineke J Smilde, Lia C van Zuylen, Liesbeth M van Vliet, Natasja J H Raijmakers
OBJECTIVE: To assess the degree of openness of communication about illness and death between patients with advanced cancer and their relatives during the last three months of the patient's life, and its association with relatives' characteristics and bereavement distress. METHODS: We used data from bereaved relatives of patients with advanced cancer from the prospective, longitudinal, multicenter, observational eQuipe study. Univariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were used to assess the association between the degree of openness of communication (measured using the validated Caregivers' Communication with patients about Illness and Death scale), the a priori defined characteristics of the relatives, and the degree of bereavement distress (measured using the Impact of Event Scale)...
March 6, 2024: Supportive Care in Cancer