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Death talk: gender differences in talking about one's own impending death
Bragi Skulason1, Arna Hauksdottir, Kozma Ahcic
1University of Iceland, Saemundargata 2, Reykjavik IS101, Iceland. bragi@landspitali.is.
BMC Palliative Care
|March 13, 2014
Summary
Men in terminal care are less likely to discuss their impending death than women. Simple communication techniques can help reduce this gender gap in end-of-life discussions.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care
- End-of-Life Communication
- Psychological Distress
Background:
- Icelandic law restricts family discussions on prognosis without patient consent, potentially causing distress.
- Limited research exists on gender differences in end-of-life "death talk" among terminal patients.
- Patient comfort discussing death with healthcare professionals is crucial for well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender differences in patient-initiated discussions about impending death.
- To assess the effectiveness of non-provocative evocation interventions in facilitating "death talk".
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of chaplain interview field notes from 195 patients (30-75 years) receiving palliative care or with DNR orders.
- Patients requested interviews over a 3-year period.
- Field notes analyzed for patient-initiated death talk and impact of evocation interventions.
Main Results:
- Women (80%) were more likely to initiate death talk than men (30%).
- Evocation interventions increased death talk significantly in both genders (men: 59%, women: 91%).
- Statistically significant gender differences in death talk persisted after interventions.
Conclusions:
- Men are more reluctant than women to discuss impending death in clinical settings.
- Simple evocation methods can significantly reduce gender disparities in end-of-life communication.
- Targeted communication strategies may improve end-of-life discussions for all patients.
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