title: Changes in levels of hope after diagnostic disclosure among Taiwanese patients with cancer.
abstract: The purposes of this study were to explore the extent to which the practice of disclosing cancer diagnoses to patients is used in Taiwan, to examine the relation between cancer diagnosis disclosure and levels of hope, and to investigate the relation between length of time since diagnosis and levels of hope. The participants in this study were 124 Taiwanese oncology inpatients and outpatients. Of these patients, 79% were informed of their cancer diagnosis. The informed patients reported significantly higher levels of hope than those who were not informed. Finally, patient levels of hope decreased as the time between cancer diagnosis and disclosure increased. The implications of this study are discussed in terms of cancer disclosure practice and enhancement of levels of hope for Taiwanese patients with cancer.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nursing, Taipei Medical College, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Chin
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hsiu-Fen
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Jeng-Fong
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Yeur-Hur
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Ching-Chiu
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Tsung-Shan
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Tsou
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009013:Morale; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors; D014342:Truth Disclosure