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.