在宅看護の視点からみたがん患者のQOL研究の課題

In recent years the duration of hospital stays has been shortened, and this has led to an increased need to provide care to patients with various diseases during the course of home nursing. Cancers are chronic diseases, and this means that home care for cancer patients can be a long-term challenge. Research on cancer patients has revealed a trend for emphasis to be placed on palliative care and hospice care. From the standpoint of home nursing, it can be surmised that care must not just cover the acute and terminal stages of malignant disease but also provide comprehensive improvement in the QOL of patients undergoing long-term treatment. This paper cites the principal published literature and discusses the topic of research on the QOL of cancer patients from the viewpoint of home nursing. Recognition of the importance of patient-centered medical therapy has led to a sharp increase in research on evaluation of the QOL of cancer patients. However, there are diverse concepts regarding the QOL, and various QOL scales are being used to evaluate the QOL of cancer patients. There is a need to develop a simple yet highly reliable set of criteria for use as a tool in evaluation of the QOL of cancer patients not only from the therapeutic aspect but also the aspect of self-care evaluation by the patient him/herself.