TERMINAL ILLNESS IN AN INDIAN SETTING: PROBLEMS OF COMMUNICATION

A study of 50 terminally ill cancer patients revealed that 52% were uninformed regarding their diagnosis and prognosis. In almost all cases the relatives had been adequately informed. No less than 82% of the terminally ill patients showed an awareness of the fatal prognosis. Most of the patients found the communication with the doctor and the relatives as unsatisfactory. Comparing this group with another group of non-terminal medically ill patients showed striking differences between the two groups. The findings are compared with those reported from the West and the implications of the above observations discussed.