Expected deaths at home - a qualitative study of collaboration

It is a goal of health policy that more patients with serious illness should be able to die at home. This study elucidates the collaboration between healthcare personnel and undertakers immediately after the death, the dignity of the deceased patient and the bereaved relatives is challenged.

The study is primarily based on five focus group interviews with undertakers, GPs, nurses and healthcare workers in homecare nursing, a total of 23 participants in an urban municipality.

The GPs and homecare nurses experienced concurrency conflicts which resulted in the downgrading of tasks concerning the deceased patient and bereaved relatives. Lack of clarity was identified concerning the doctors' verification of the death and completion of the death certificate, and the homecare nurses' personal care of the deceased patient. If the issuance of the death certificate was delayed, this had an impact on the way in which the deceased patient was dealt with by other parties involved.

The current GP system and the emergency primary health care scheme do not appear to have adequate resources for the doctor to be able to verify death and complete the death certificate, with potentially negative consequences for the subsequent work of undertakers and homecare nurses with the deceased patient and bereaved relatives.