Imran

Tamblyn R, Abrahamowicz M, Dauphinee D, Wenghofer E, Jacques A, Klass D, Smee S, Blackmore D, Winslade N, Girard N, Du Berger R, Bartman I, Buckeridge DL, Hanley JA. JAMA. 2007; 298(9): 993-1001. FREE

For anyone who ever wondered about the importance of communication in medicine, this paper is must-reading. This study of over 3,000 Canadian physicians found that the physicians most likely to get patient complaints and face malpractice claims scored the lowest on patient-physician communication skills on their national licensing examinations.

 

 

 

http://jama.ama-assn.org.proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca/cgi/reprint/298/9/993

Peabody, F.W. JAMA 1927; 88: 877-882. FREE

This article, originally published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is one of the most often cited papers in medical literature. In this article, Peabody sets out a key tenet of medical practice: “The secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient.”

 

 

 

http://cell2soul.typepad.com/files/the_care_of_the_patient-1.pdf

Chochinov HM, Hack T, Hassard T, Kristjanson LJ, McClement S, Harlos M. Lancet. 2002;360(9350):2026-2030.

This article describes a cross-sectional study of 213 dying patients, who were asked to identify the extent to which they can maintain their own sense of dignity.  Although fewer than eight per cent reported significant loss of dignity, this perception was closely linked with psychological distress and symptom distress, heightened dependency needs, and loss of will to live.

 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12504398

Chochinov HM, Hassard T, McClement SE, et al. J Pain Symptom Manage 2008;36:559-571. FREE

The Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) measures various sources of dignity-related distress among patients nearing the end of life. This article describes the psychometric properties of the 25-item questionnaire and contains a copy of the instrument.

 

http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0885-3924/PIIS0885392408002509.pdf

McClement SE, Chochinov HM, Hack TF, Kristjanson LJ, Harlos M. Int J Palliat Nurs. 2004;10(4):173-179

A central tenet of palliative care is to help people die with “dignity.” This article describes what the concept of dignity means to those who are terminally ill, and identifies factors that support and undermine dignity. Application of research findings to clinical practice is emphasized.

 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15150452