Patient Dignity Inventory in Cancer Patients: A Narrative Review

Background: Human dignity must be respected and preserved in all interactions between healthcare professionals and patients. The Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) is a questionnaire designed to identify problems associated with the loss of dignity at the end of life. Aim: This narrative review of the literature aims to investigate the use of the PDI tool in the context of the oncology pathway and to understand its implications for managing these patients. Method: Multiple searches were performed in electronic databases: Medline (via PubMed), Web of Science, and Scopus. Keywords linked to Boolean operators were used to identify studies conducted in adults in oncology and palliative care, published in Italian or English from 01/01/2019. Result: A total of 96 articles were found. Eight studies were included in the narrative review at the end of the selection process. All the studies in the selection were on the characteristics of the concept of dignity through the use of the PDI. The main factors investigated that influence patients' perceived dignity, are preservation of autonomy and hope, quality of communication, and time left for patients. Conclusion: In the oncology pathway, the use of the Patient Dignity Inventory in clinical practice has the potential to benefit both patients and the care team, and to improve the quality of care.