Ošetřovatelské perspektivy 2025, 8(1):13-28 | DOI: 10.25142/osp.2025.002

FACTORS AFFECTING DIGNITY IN CANCER PATIENTS ASSESSED BY THE PATIENT DIGNITY INVENTORY – LITERATURE REVIEW

Sylvie Chvatíková¹, Iva Volešová¹, Helena Kisvetrová¹

¹ Fakulta zdravotnických věd, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci

Background: Dignity is a fundamental entity of human life and represents one of the highest values influencing the quality of human life. It depends on an individual’s health status as well as the way healthcare is provided. The loss of dignity is often associated with the intensity of oncological symptoms, depression, feelings of demoralization, psychological distress, and an overall lower quality of life, which is most observed in patients with cancer. The Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) is used to assess the dignity of oncology patients, providing healthcare professionals with a relatively easy way to identify a wide range of issues that may cause anxiety and concerns related to dignity loss in individuals with cancer.

Objective: Based on reviewed studies, to create an overview of relevant publications focusing on identifying factors that influence the dignity of oncology patients using the PDI tool.

Methods: Determining the research question: ‘What factors influence the assessment of dignity of patients with a cancer diagnosis using the PDI instrument?’ Relevant publications were searched in electronic scientific databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar based on predefined criteria and defined keywords in English and Czech, using Boolean operators, for the period between 2014 and 2024. Systematic sorting and selection of sources were conducted following the PRISMA protocol.

Results: A total of 123 studies were retrieved, out of which 5 studies were selected for the final review. Inclusion criteria were empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals, quantitative research with precise methodology, and full-text availability in English. A review of published studies describing factors affecting dignity in cancer patients identifies loss of personal autonomy, self-continuity, symptom distress, worry about the future, sense of loss of identity, loss of independence, loss of control over one’s life, lack of respect and understanding from others, depression, demoralization, physical functional limitations, and symptom burden.

Conclusion: A total of 5 studies were identified, with the primary aim of determining factors influencing the assessment of dignity in oncology patients using the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) assessment tool.

Keywords: factors, dignity, oncological disease, patient, PDI

Received: February 9, 2025; Revised: April 10, 2025; Accepted: May 27, 2025; Published: October 6, 2025  Show citation