Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40778740›Full record

ArticleThe American journal of hospice & palliative care2026

Feasibility and Acceptability of Virtual Dignity Therapy for Palliative Care Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Jessica Weng, Ellen Wild, Sherry Chesak, Laura Rhee, Katherine M Piderman, Abraham Labrada Santiago, Caila J Rinker, Melissa Felt, Karen M Fischer, Cory Ingram and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The American journal of hospice & palliative care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Jessica WengMayo Clinic Medical Scientist Training Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8171-2223
Ellen WildDivision of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Sherry ChesakDivision of Nursing Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Laura RheeDivision of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Katherine M PidermanDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Abraham Labrada SantiagoDivision of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Caila J RinkerDivision of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Melissa FeltDepartment of Medicine Research Hub, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Karen M FischerDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Cory IngramDivision of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Deirdre R PachmanDivision of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Funding

MSTP at Mayo Clinic RochesterT32GM145408 · NIGMS · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER · PI SCOTT H KAUFMANN, LISA A SCHIMMENTI · 2023 to 2026
$4.7M
Role of Hofbauer cells in prenatal inflammation at the maternal-fetal interfaceF30HD115297 · NICHD · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER · PI Jessica Weng · 2025 to 2026
$100k
NICHD NIH HHS F30 HD115297NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM145408
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BackgroundPatients with advanced cancer experience a substantial amount of existential and emotional distress. Dignity therapy (DT) is a brief, individualized psychotherapy that aims to relieve existential distress and improve the experiences of individuals impacted by serious illness.AimTo evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of virtual DT (vDT) among patients with advanced cancer.MethodsThis pilot study recruited adult patients with advanced cancer and an expected prognosis >6 months. The vDT intervention consisted of 2 sessions of guided interviews focused on life review, discussion, and development of a generativity document (GD). Feasibility and acceptability were assessed quantitatively and with semi-structured interviews. Effectiveness measures (distress, dignity impact scale, quality of life [QOL]) were administered pre/post intervention.ResultsThirty-one patients referred from a palliative care clinic were eligible. Twenty-one consented and 15 received a final GD. Patients who completed final assessments (N = 9) reported satisfaction with their experience and would recommend the therapy to others. Patients found the virtual component of the intervention acceptable, and the majority noted an improvement in their dignity. Qualitative analysis revealed themes of study team effectiveness, perspectives on intervention processes, benefits to self, and benefits to loved ones.ConclusionParticipation in vDT intervention was feasible and acceptable for patients. Patients appreciated the connection with the interviewer, the process, and the benefit of having a document to share with loved ones. Preliminary effectiveness data suggest vDT improves sense of dignity.

Indexed as

Dignity TherapyNeoplasmsPalliative CarePsychotherapy, BriefAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient SatisfactionPilot ProjectsQuality of Lifeadvanced cancerexistential distresslegacy workpalliative carepsycho-emotional interventionvirtual dignity therapy

Identifiers

PMID40778740
PMCPMC12621136

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.