Dignity at the End of Life: A Podcast with Harvey Chochinov

I hear the word dignity used a lot in the medical setting, but I’m never sure what people mean when they use it.  You’d imagine that as a seasoned palliative care doc, I’d have a pretty good definition by now of what “maintaining dignity” or “loss of dignity” means, but you’d be sadly wrong.

Well that all changes today as we’ve invited the world's foremost expert in dignity at the end of life, Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov, to join us on the podcast.  Harvey is probably best known for his work in developing dignity therapy, a psychological intervention designed specifically to address many of the psychological, existential, and spiritual challenges that patients and their families face as death approaches.

We talk with Harvey about how he defines “dignity” and how we can understand what it means to our patients. We also talk about easy and quick ways to address dignity and personhood by using the Patient Dignity Question (PDQ), which asks “what do I need to know about you as a person to give you the best care possible.”  In addition, we talk with Harvey about some other recent publications he has written, including one on “Intensive Caring” and one on the “Platinum Rule” (do unto others as they would want done unto themselves).

So take a listen and if you are interested in learning more, check out these wonderful links:

• Harvey’s latest book is called, Dignity in Care: The Human Side of Medicine

• Intensive Caring: Reminding Patients They Matter 

• Michael J. Fox gives patients hope there may be a place that illness doesn’t touch

• Depression is a Liar

• Why is Being a Patient Such a Difficult Pill to Swallow

• Better Patient Care Calls for a ‘Platinum Rule’ to Replace the Golden One. Scientific American 

• Letter to the Editor: Response to Downar et al. Medical Assistance in Dying and Palliative Care: Shared Trajectories