Patient Dignity Inventory

The Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) is a 25-item self-report measure assessing dignity-related distress in patients with advanced cancer and life-limiting illness. Developed by Chochinov and colleagues at the University of Manitoba in 2008, the PDI operationalizes 'dignity' as a multidimensional construct encompassing illness-related functional decline, psychosocial concerns (fear, hopelessness, suicidality), body image distress, existential meaning, and social connection—dimensions often overlooked by symptom-focused assessment. The PDI enables clinicians to identify and address dignity threats systematically, preventing the existential despair that can accompany terminal illness even when physical symptoms are well-controlled.