Deathbed Phenomena, Other End-of-Life Experiences and Their Effects in Palliative Care Teams: A Systematic Review

The dying process includes many subjective experiences called end-of-life experiences. The author conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines to characterize end-of-life experiences and their effects on patients, families, healthcare professionals, and volunteers in palliative care settings. The databases used were PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science. Of 7095 articles found, 12 met the eligibility criteria. The prevalence of end-of-life experiences ranged from 28 to 87% and dreams and visions were the most reported. Eight common themes were found: end-of-life experiences are not uncommon (100%); end-of-life experiences can be comforting or not (83.3%); spiritual transformation of end-of-life experiences (58.3%); hallucinations and end-of-life experiences (50%); normalization of end-of-life experiences (50%); training of health professionals (41.6%); end-of-life experiences as prognostic indicators (33.3%); contribution of end-of-life experiences in grief (25%). These experiences, whether comforting or distressing, play a therapeutic role in facilitating a peaceful death and aiding the grieving process.