In-hospital end-of-life care: an appreciative analysis of bereaved family feedback

Experience feedback data is increasingly recognised as being helpful in improving healthcare services, and in meeting patient and family needs. This end-of-life care project, based on the principles of appreciative inquiry, sought to learn from the experiences of bereaved people whose relative had died in an acute hospital setting. Informal feedback, offered during a routine telephone call, was thematically analysed and interpreted in an appreciative manner. Confirmatory representations of caring practices and behaviours were identified, categorised and disseminated in a way that enabled staff to come to know and understand end-of-life care at its best, rather than as a set of problematised events. The findings served as a benchmark for individuals and teams to assess and progress their practice reflectively. The authors conclude that staff receptiveness to informal bereaved family feedback may be enhanced by focusing on the positive qualities of end-of-life care within existing practices.