Information from physicians and retention of information by patients - obstacles to the awareness of patients of progressing disease when life is near the end

Discrepancies between the information that patients have received and the patients' awareness of their condition have frequently been observed in literature and given a number of different explanations. The chief contribution of this study is that by following patients over time it is possible not only to notice any changes in the patients' knowledge or awareness of their disease, but also to investigate the interview material for possible reasons for those changes. Since the study is based on two different groups of patients it will also be possible to notice if the category of disease matters for patients' awareness of their condition.