1. Introduction
cancer, death
CHRONIC ILLNESS, DISEASE, CANCER
Background: Hope is widely considered a subjective phenomenon able to bring beneficial consequences to human health and existence. Maintaining hope amid a life-threatening disease and during palliative care is critical. The study aims to examine the effectiveness of a psychosocial supportive Hope Promotion Program (HPP) in enhancing hope, comfort, and quality of life in Portuguese adult outpatients with advanced and progressive chronic illness. Method: Using a parallel Randomized Control Trial (RCT) with pre-post design, 56 cancer outpatients from two day hospitals. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 28) or an intervention group (n = 28). The primary outcome measure was hope. Secondary measures included comfort and quality of life. Participants were assessed at baseline, day 15, and day 30 of follow-up. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. In the intervention group, there was a significant increase in the total hope scores after the HPP (day 15). Significant differences were still present after one month (Palliative care, as a medical speciality, has grown to occupy an essential area between the opposing emphases on prolonging life and hastening death [The promotion and inspiration of hope is closely linked to the effectiveness of nursing practice [Several studies have found that a range of psychosocial interventions can help palliative care patients feel more hopeful [The evaluation and promotion of hope is one of the standards of good clinical practice in palliative care [The overall aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a psychosocial program to promote hope, comfort and QoL in Portuguese adult outpatients with advanced and progressive chronic illness. Understanding the effects of such programs will provide insights for other interventions focused on fostering hope in palliative care patients.