Observational studyBMC health services research2021
"Saying goodbye all alone with no close support was difficult"- Dying during the COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey among bereaved relatives about end-of-life care for patients with or without SARS-CoV2 infection.
Observational study in BMC health services research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 50 citations in OpenAlex.
- 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
- The Legal and Ethical Dimensions of Hospital Visitation Bans in the COVID-19 Era.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Family Experiences of Loss and Bereavement in Palliative Care Units during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on celebration of death, mortuary, and funerary customs in Bangladesh: A qualitative study.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Death Unpreparedness Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Concept Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Challenges for palliative care in times of COVID-19: a scoping review.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- How initial policy responses to COVID-19 contributed to shaping dying at home preferences and care provision: key informant perspectives from Canada.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Hospice and Palliative Care during Disasters: A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Symptom Management and Support in Dying Patients with Cancer and Coronavirus Disease-19-A Register-Based Study.Journal of palliative care · 2023Article
- "The communication I had with him back then is still stuck in my mind." Bereaved families of cancer patients' experiences for end-of-life communication.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Article
- Article
- Challenges in Care for Non-COVID-19 Patients with Severe Chronic Illnesses during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Providers Working around Acute Care Hospitals in South Korea.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Palliative care of COVID-19 patients with do-not-resuscitate status in underrepresented minorities.European journal of clinical investigation · 2023Article
- Dying during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sweden: Relatives' Experiences of End-of-Life Care (the CO-LIVE Study).International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Specialist Palliative Care Consultations in COVID-19 Patients in the ICU-A Retrospective Analysis of Patient Characteristics and Symptoms at a German University Hospital.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Development of a national strategy with recommendations for the care of seriously ill and dying people and their relatives in pandemics: A modified Delphi study.Palliative medicine · 2022Article
- The Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on the Needs of Non-Infected Patients and Their Families in Palliative Care-Interviews with Those Concerned.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Article
- Low and No-Contact Euthanasia: Associated Ethical Challenges Experienced by Veterinary Team Members during the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDuring the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, protection measures, as well as visiting restrictions, had a severe impact on seriously ill and dying patients and their relatives. The study aims to describe the experiences of bereaved relatives of patients who died during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, regardless of whether patients were infected with SARS-CoV2 or not. As part of this, experiences related to patients' end-of-life care, saying goodbye, visiting restrictions and communication with the healthcare team were assessed.
methodsAn open observational post-bereavement online survey with free text options was conducted with 81 bereaved relatives from people who died during the pandemic in Germany, with and without SARS-CoV2 diagnosis.
results67/81 of the bereaved relatives were female, with a mean age of 57.2 years. 50/81 decedents were women, with a mean age of 82.4 years. The main underlying diseases causing death were cardiovascular diseases or cancer. Only 7/81 of the patients were infected with SARS-CoV2. 58/81 of the relatives felt burdened by the visiting restrictions and 60/81 suffered from pandemic-related stress. 10 of the patients died alone due to visiting restrictions. The burden for relatives in the hospital setting was higher compared to relatives of patients who died at home. 45/81 and 44/81 relatives respectively reported that physicians and nurses had time to discuss the patient's condition. Nevertheless, relatives reported a lack of proactive communication from the healthcare professionals.
conclusionsVisits of relatives play a major role in the care of the dying and have an impact on the bereavement of relatives. Visits must be facilitated, allowing physical contact. Additionally, virtual contact with the patients and open, empathetic communication on the part of healthcare professionals is needed.
trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00023552).
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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.