Observational studyBMC palliative care2021
Before the 2020 Pandemic: an observational study exploring public knowledge, attitudes, plans, and preferences towards death and end of life care in Wales.
Observational study in BMC palliative care, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Community Dwelling Adults' Lived Experiences of Participating in Death Cafés: A Phenomenological Study With Photovoice.Journal of clinical nursing · 2026Article
- Changing contexts of death and dying: Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and voluntary assisted dying legislation on death literacy in Australia.Palliative care and social practice · 2026Article
- Adopting the lens of the COM-B behaviour change model to qualitatively explore and understand public health implications of young adults' attitudes towards death-talk.BMC public health · 2025Article
- The role of a death and grief festival in cultivating awareness of serious illness, death, and bereavement at university: A qualitative study of students' and staff's motivations and experiences with Compassionate Week activities.Palliative care and social practice · 2025Article
- 'Beyond the Reach of Palliative Care': A Qualitative Study of Patient and Public Experiences and Anticipation of Death and Dying.Qualitative health research · 2024Article
- End-of-life health literacy, knowledge and behaviours towards advance care planning among older adults: cross-sectional evidence from Switzerland.BMJ public health · 2024Article
- Barriers and drivers of public engagement in palliative care, Scoping review.BMC palliative care · 2024Article
- Attitudes of the Portuguese population towards advance directives: an online survey.BMC medical ethics · 2024Article
- Talking about death and dying: Findings from deliberative discussion groups with members of the public.Mortality (Abingdon, England) · 2024Article
- The ideal and the real: Patient and bereaved family caregiver perspectives on the significance of place of death.Death studies · 2024Article
- 'The beauty and the less beautiful': exploring the meanings of dying at 'home' among community and practitioner representatives and advocates across Canada.Palliative care and social practice · 2023Article
- Understanding public attitudes to death talk and advance care planning in Northern Ireland using health behaviour change theory: a qualitative study.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Support needs and barriers to accessing support: Baseline results of a mixed-methods national survey of people bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic.Palliative medicine · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundUnderstanding public attitudes towards death and dying is important to inform public policies around End of Life Care (EoLC). We studied the public attitudes towards death and dying in Wales.
methodsAn online survey was conducted in 2018. Social media and the HealthWiseWales platform were used to recruit participants. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.
results2,210 people participated. Loss of independence (84%), manner of death, and leaving their beloved behind were the biggest fears around death and dying. In terms of EoLC, participants sought timely access to care (84%) and being surrounded by loved ones (62%). Being at home was less of a priority (24%). Only 50% were familiar with Advance Care Planning (ACP). A lack of standard procedures as well as of support for the execution of plans and the ability to revisit those plans hindered uptake. The taboo around death conversations, the lack of opportunities and skills to initiate discussion, and personal fear and discomfort inhibited talking about death and dying. 72% felt that we do not talk enough about death and dying and advocated normalising talking by demystifying death with a positive approach. Health professionals could initiate and support this conversation, but this depended on communication skills and manageable workload pressure. Participants encouraged a public health approach and endorsed the use of: a) social media and other public platforms, b) formal education, c) formal and legal actions, and d) signposting and access to information.
conclusionsPeople are ready to talk about death and dying and COVID-19 has increased awareness. A combination of top-down and bottom-up initiatives across levels and settings can increase awareness, knowledge, and service-utilisation-drivers to support health professionals and people towards shared decisions which align with people's end of life wishes and preferences.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.