Abstract 1522P
Background
There is a concern that end-of-life care discussion may cause emotional harm which hinders research in this field despite a perceived benefit. This study aims to objectively understand the effect of end-of-life care related questions on people’s mood level and the factors which contribute to the changes.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional descriptive study to gain quantitative data using a questionnaire. A sum of 368 respondents from the general population (69%) and health care providers (31%) participated with consecutive sampling method. Respondents were asked to report on their mood level by choosing a range on a visual analogue scale before they started to complete the questionnaire, then re-evaluate and report using the same scale after the last item in the questionnaire. Changes in the chosen scale were statistically analysed with related demographic factors.
Results
In a collective comparison of mood level before and after the questionnaire, 49% of respondent’s moods were constant, 12,7% became happier, and 38% became sadder. There was also a statistically significant correlation (p<0.01) between the participant’s mood and comfort level regarding end-of-life care discussion. Interestingly, respondents whose initial mood level before the survey was classed as sad or very sad, were more likely to be happier after the end-of-life care exploration questionnaire.
Conclusions
End-of-life care questionnaires affects participant mood level, with a notable portion of respondents who reported a lower mood level after completing the questionnaire. Further exploration in this field, preferably with direct observation and exploration of participant mood, would enrich understanding of this topic.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The author.
Funding
Indonesian Cancer Foundation Jakarta chapter.
Disclosure
The author has declared no conflicts of interest.