Narrative Interventions in the Palliative Care Setting: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• End-of-Life Care
• Health Communication

Background:

• Narrative interventions are increasingly explored in palliative and end-of-life care.
• Existing literature focuses on improving communication and well-being for patients, caregivers, and providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the literature on narrative interventions in palliative and end-of-life care.
• To identify observational and randomized controlled trials evaluating these interventions.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review methodology was employed.
• Extensive electronic database searches were conducted.
• Screening and review of relevant articles identified common themes and challenges.

Main Results:

• 34 articles were included, focusing on reflection or communication interventions.
• Studies involved providers, students, patients, and caregivers; only patient/caregiver studies used randomized designs.
• Most studies were small, focused on feasibility, and showed heterogeneity in interventions and outcome measures.

Conclusions:

• Narrative interventions are being evaluated to enhance communication and well-being in palliative and end-of-life care.
• The field requires standardized outcomes and a common framework for intervention description.
• Further research is needed on narrative interventions for provider communication support.