Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39443858›Full record

ArticleBMC primary care2024

The provision of bereavement care by general practitioners: data from a sentinel network.

Sophie C Renckens, H Roeline Pasman, Nienke J Veldhuijzen, Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC primary care, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Sophie C RenckensDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. s.renckens@amsterdamumc.nl.
H Roeline PasmanDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Nienke J VeldhuijzenNivel, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Bregje D Onwuteaka-PhilipsenDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLimited information exists regarding the prevalence of bereavement care provision by general practitioners (GPs) and in what cases they provide this. Insights into the current practice of bereavement care provision by GPs can highlight areas for improvement of the bereavement care practice. Therefore, we examined in how many cases GPs contacted relatives regarding bereavement care, and which case-specific characteristics are associated.

methodsThis study had a retrospective cross-sectional design and used data from a clustered sample of 52 GP-practices in the Netherlands. Patient cases were included if they were one year or older and died between January 1st, 2018 and December 31st, 2022. The main outcome was whether the GP had had contact with relatives regarding bereavement care or planned to do so. Descriptive statistics were used, as well as logistic regression analyses with generalized estimating equations.

resultsFollowing 86.4% of deaths, GPs either had contact with or planned to have contact with relatives of their deceased patients regarding bereavement care. This likelihood was higher in non-sudden deaths compared to sudden deaths (odds ratio [OR] 1.60). In cases of non-sudden death, GPs were more likely to provide bereavement care if an informal caregiver was involved (OR 3.81), or if the GP was part of a palliative care at home group (PaTz) (OR 2.78).

conclusionsIn the majority of cases GPs reach out to the relatives of their deceased patients to offer bereavement care. Given their familiarity with the deceased person, particularly instances of non-sudden death, the GP seems to be well-positioned to provide bereavement care, especially support that focuses on reviewing the period leading up to the death.

Indexed as

BereavementGeneral PractitionersAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCaregiversChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesFamilyFemaleHospice CareHumansInfantMaleAftercarePalliative carePrimary care

Identifiers

PMID39443858
PMCPMC11515723

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