| Title: |
Sacrifice and solidarity: a qualitative study of family experiences of death and bereavement in critical care settings during the pandemic |
| Authors: |
Dennis, Brittany; Vanstone, Meredith; Swinton, Marilyn; Vegas, Daniel Brandt; Dionne, Joanna C; Cheung, Andrew; Clarke, France J; Hoad, Neala; Boyle, Anne; Huynh, Jessica; Toledo, Feli; Soth, Mark; Neville, Thanh H; Fiest, Kirsten; Cook, Deborah J |
| Source: |
BMJ Open, vol 12, iss 1 |
| Publisher Information: |
eScholarship, University of California |
| Publication Year: |
2022 |
| Collection: |
University of California: eScholarship |
| Subject Terms: |
Health Services and Systems; Health Sciences; Clinical Research; Good Health and Well Being; Bereavement; COVID-19; Canada; Critical Care; Family; Grief; Humans; Pandemics; Qualitative Research; SARS-CoV-2; palliative care; Clinical Sciences; Public Health and Health Services; Other Medical and Health Sciences; Biomedical and clinical sciences; Psychology |
| Description: |
BackgroundPandemic-related restrictions are expected to continue to shape end-of-life care and impact the experiences of dying hospitalised patients and their families.ObjectiveTo understand families' experiences of loss and bereavement during and after the death of their loved one amidst the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic.DesignQualitative descriptive study.SettingThree acute care units in a Canadian tertiary care hospital.ParticipantsFamily members of 28 hospitalised patients who died from March-July 2020.Main outcome measuresQualitative semistructured interviews conducted 6-16 months after patient death inquired about family experiences before and beyond the death of their loved one and garnered suggestions to improve end-of-life care.ResultsPandemic restrictions had consequences for families of dying hospitalised patients. Most family members described an attitude of acquiescence, some framing their experience as a sacrifice made for the public good. Families appreciated how clinicians engendered trust in the name of social solidarity while trying to mitigate the negative impact of family separation. However, fears about the patient's experience of isolation and changes to postmortem rituals also created despair and contributed to long-lasting grief.ConclusionProfound loss and enduring grief were described by family members whose final connections to their loved one were constrained by pandemic circumstances. Families observed solidarity among clinical staff and experienced a sense of unity with staff, which alleviated some distress. Their suggestions to improve end-of-life care given pandemic restrictions included frequent, flexible communication, exceptions for family presence when safe, and targeted efforts to connect patients whose isolation is intensified by functional impairment or limited technological access.Trial registration numberNCT04602520; Results. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: |
application/pdf |
| Language: |
unknown |
| Relation: |
qt9f2125dt; https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9f2125dt; https://escholarship.org/content/qt9f2125dt/qt9f2125dt.pdf |
| DOI: |
10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058768 |
| Availability: |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9f2125dt; https://escholarship.org/content/qt9f2125dt/qt9f2125dt.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058768 |
| Rights: |
CC-BY-NC |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.AB9A6C2D |
| Database: |
BASE |