Final Conversations: Overview and Practical Implications for Patients, Families, and Healthcare Workers

Area of Science:

• Communication Studies
• Thanatology
• Family Studies

Background:

• End-of-life care involves crucial communication between patients, families, and healthcare providers.
• Final conversations are vital for processing grief and ensuring patient wishes are understood.
• Existing research often overlooks the family member's perspective in these dialogues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize 12 years of research on final conversations from a family member's perspective.
• To identify recurring message themes, their functions, and communication challenges in end-of-life dialogues.
• To provide practical implications for healthcare providers, patients, and families navigating the death journey.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and thematic analysis of 12 years of research on end-of-life communication.
• Qualitative analysis focusing on memorable messages shared by family members with terminally ill loved ones.
• Examination of communication challenges and functional roles of messages in adult and pediatric contexts.

Main Results:

• Identified distinct message themes (e.g., expressions of love, gratitude, forgiveness) exchanged during final conversations.
• Determined that these messages serve critical functions for family members, including emotional closure and maintaining connection.
• Highlighted significant communicative challenges, such as difficulty initiating conversations and managing emotional distress.

Conclusions:

• Final conversations are a complex but essential component of the end-of-life experience for families.
• Understanding message themes and functions can improve support for patients and families.
• Future research should focus on practical interventions to enhance communication during the death journey.