The Study on Evaluation and Improvement of Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer by China’s Hospice Program

Abstract

This multicenter study evaluated the quality of life (QOL) of patients with advanced cancer and assessed the improvement in patients’ QOL by hospice service program, using McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire-Hong Kong version (MQOL-HK) questionnaire in China’s 32 hospice centers from March to June, 2012. Among 640 recruited cases, data of 630 patients were analyzed. Differences in patients’ pre- and posthospice QOL were evaluated. Compared to prehospice results, patients’ QOL scores improved significantly in physical, psychological, existential, and support domains after 3 weeks of hospice services. Some items were not thus classified primarily due to cross-cultural adaptation. The MQOL-HK questionnaire could effectively measure QOL in Chinese hospice patients and their QOL could be improved by hospice services. Psychological, existential, and support services should be emphasized during patients’ initial 3 weeks of hospice admission.