Developing a dignity instrument to measure the outcomes of palliative home-based care

Abstract

This research sought to develop a palliative care measurement tool that could track and measure the rendering of care by informal caregivers to dying persons across the diversity of South African cultural and religious groups. This mixed method research led to the development of an instrument consisting of a one-dimensional domain, eight sub-items and 56 scores against which care can be numerically quantified on a radar graph. It is recommended that this tool be utilised to provide objective indications about the quality of home-based palliative care rendered to terminally ill patients