The strength of DT lies in the way it combines these elements in a fashion that is clearly described in a manual. Furthermore, DT is specifically tailored to selleck inhibitor patients living under conditions of severe illness, including heavy symptom burden, psychosocial

and existential distress, and physical limitations. Guided by the Dignity Therapy question protocol (DTQP) [5], DT constitutes a distinct and innovative approach (figure ​(figure1)1) that can be conducted at the bedside and completed within days, making it Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical particularly suitable for the palliative care setting. Results from 100 patients, living in Canada and Australia, demonstrated significant reduction of depressed mood, sense of suffering and nearly significant improvement in sense of dignity [5]. Between 81-91%

of the patients found DT satisfactory and of help to their relatives, and 67-76% of the patients felt it heightened their sense of purpose, meaning and dignity. Interviews with the relatives’ Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical after the patient’s death supported these findings. Furthermore, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical relatives reported great appreciation of the ‘generativity document’ (an edited transcription of DT), which had helped them during their grief [18]. Figure 1 Dignity Therapy and the Dignity Therapy Question Protocol*. These positive findings provided the basis for implementing and evaluating DT in Denmark. Despite accurate translation of the DTQP, we anticipated that differences in cultural practices and beliefs might influence the reception

of DT by Danish patients and their families. Other differences we anticipated included the Danish organization of health care and the education Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of Danish health care professionals. Thus, one could not know whether an intervention Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of this kind would be equally successful and meaningful if uncritically applied in the Danish culture. It was therefore necessary to test the feasibility of DT in a Danish care setting and explore the extent to which adjustments might be necessary, prior to moving into a more formal and extensive evaluation. The aims of this study were to investigate the following why questions: 1. How do health care professionals in a Danish palliative care setting view the DTQP? 2. Do Danish patients find the DTQP relevant, comprehensible and acceptable? 3. What proportion of patients is considered eligible for and accept DT? Thus, this study focused most specifically on the Dignity Therapy Question protocol and the issue of recruitment, rather than the broader evaluation of how patients experienced DT and its various impacts. The emphasis of our research agenda was guided by the EORTC Quality of Life Group’s guidelines [19], stating that before starting to use a newly translated questionnaire, they should be tested amongst small patient cohorts. Methods Study overview Feasibility was tested in the following ways: 1. Interviews with professionals about their perception of the DTQP. 2.