ArticlePalliative medicine2021
A qualitative study of bereaved relatives' end of life experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article in Palliative medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 73 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
73 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The Experiences of Informal Carers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Reflections and Practical Insights on Communication and Care for Patients and Families in Japanese Intensive Care Units During COVID-19: A Semi-structured Interview Study of Healthcare Providers.Asian bioethics review · 2026Article
- Mental Health Needs of Families of Patients in Intensive Care Units and the Role of Mobile Health: Survey Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Support needs, support use and perceived helpfulness of support in a cohort of people bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a longitudinal survey.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- 'It's given us the opportunity': Patient and clinician experiences of serious illness conversations in the NHS acute setting - Results from a UK Qualitative Study.Palliative care and social practice · 2026Article
- Crisis management and relational work in Swiss nursing homes during COVID-19: a qualitative multistakeholder study.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Just-in-case medication use by ambulance paramedics responding to end-of-life care in the community: protocol for a multi-method study (RELIEF).British paramedic journal · 2025Article
- Perspectives of Advance Care Planning for Latinos During COVID-19.The American journal of hospice & palliative care · 2025Article
- Unravelling the complexities: a scoping review of the collateral effects on bereaved relatives during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- Article
- Announcements of Death During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Family Experiences.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Article
- Dying in residential care homes during the early COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative interview study.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Impact of French lockdowns on bereavement experiences: Insight from ALCESTE analysis revealing psychological resilience and distinct grief dynamics amidst COVID-19.International journal of psychology : Journal international de psychologie · 2025Article
- (Mis)alignment of employer support and needs of healthcare providers in end-of-life care during a healthcare crisis: a longitudinal mixed-method study during the COVID-19 pandemic (the CO-LIVE study).Palliative care and social practice · 2025Article
- "I have never felt so alone and vulnerable" - A qualitative study of bereaved people's experiences of end-of-life cancer care during the Covid-19 pandemic.BMC palliative care · 2024Article
- From applause to disappointment - appreciation among healthcare providers that provided end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on well-being - a longitudinal mixed methods study (the CO-LIVE study).BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Article
- Emotional Suffering After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Grieving the Loss of Family Members in Brazil.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- "I couldn't say goodbye": Thematic analysis of interviews with bereaved relatives who lost their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC palliative care · 2024Article
- Family Experiences of Loss and Bereavement in Palliative Care Units during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
13 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMeeting the needs of relatives when a family member is dying can help facilitate better psychological adjustment in their grief. However, end of life experiences for families are likely to have been deleteriously impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Understanding how families' needs can be met during a global pandemic will have current/future relevance for clinical practice and policy.
aimTo explore relatives' experiences and needs when a family member was dying during the COVID-19 pandemic.
designInterpretative qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed thematically. SETTING/
participantsA total of 19 relatives whose family member died during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
resultsIn the absence of direct physical contact, it was important for families to have a clear understanding of their family member's condition and declining health, stay connected with them in the final weeks/days of life and have the opportunity for a final contact before they died. Health and social care professionals were instrumental to providing these aspects of care, but faced practical challenges in achieving these. Results are presented within three themes: (1) entering into the final weeks and days of life during a pandemic, (2) navigating the final weeks of life during a pandemic and (3) the importance of 'saying goodbye' in a pandemic.
conclusionsHealth and social care professionals can have an important role in mitigating the absence of relatives' visits at end of life during a pandemic. Strategies include prioritising virtual connectedness and creating alternative opportunities for relatives to 'say goodbye'.
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