Supportive Intervention for Advanced Lung Cancer Patients and Their Partners

Abstract

In recent years, cancer has ruthlessly taken many lives. Many forms of cancer have proven to be incurable, so a good sense of well-being and significant meaning of life is important before death. Although there have been a few programs that have focused on death-related concerns of dying patients, none have included the partner. Relationship issues have surfaced as one of the crucial concerns for patients, especially at the end of life. The stress of a patient also affects the partner’s well-being in the long run. The intention of this intervention is to lessen death-related stress for cancer patients and their partners. Cancer patients and their partners will be selected through a screening process through the Indiana University Cancer Center for a four-week intervention. The patients and partners then will take a pre-intervention assessment (Quantitative) followed by the intervention (Qualitative) itself. After the intervention, the patients and partners will take a post-intervention assessment (Quantitative). When analyzing, we will look for themes in the data and determine if the numbers have improved from the preassessment to the post-assessment. The findings from the qualitative and quantitative data will be used to assist in the improvement of cancer interventions and the updating of current practices, which will enhance its efficacy.