title: Illness awareness of patients in hospice: psychological evaluation and perception of family members and medical staff.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the widespread belief that patients should be given full information about their disease and prognosis, they actually they know very little. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the awareness of 100 patients (from the Hospices of Rimini and Savignano-Rubicone) about their diagnoses and prognoses. It is also investigated staff and relatives perceptions of patients' awareness.
  
  
  METHODS
  A semistructured interview of patients was performed by psychologists to evaluate their awareness about diagnosis and prognosis. Then psychologists completed a questionnaire about their own evaluation of patients' disease awareness. Moreover, the same questionnaire was completed by family members and by staff members (doctors and nurses) about their perceptions of patients' awareness. Doctors and nurses gave their answers based on their routine interactions with patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite the fact that patients in hospice were in the terminal phase of disease, 30% of patients had no diagnosis awareness, and an even higher percentage of patients (62%) who had no prognosis awareness.
authors.affiliation: Infermi Hospital, Rimini, Italy. jandruccioli@auslrn.net
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andruccioli
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montesi
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Raffaeli
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Monterubbianesi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turci
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pittureri
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sarti
authors.forename: Alberto P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Vignali
authors.forename: Andrea P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001364:Awareness; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006738:Hospices; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008503:Medical Staff / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires