ArticlePalliative medicine2025
An easier way to die?-A qualitative interview study on specialist palliative care team members' views on dying under sedation.
Article in Palliative medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- A complex intervention to support the use of sedative drugs in specialist palliative care: results from the iSedPall pilot study.BMC palliative care · 2026Article
- The decision-making process for sedation in specialist palliative care: a qualitative interview study with team members, relatives, and patients.BMC palliative care · 2026Article
- Palliative care perceptions and well-being in nurses across healthcare settings: a comparative study from Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- Frequency and predictors of palliative sedation among patients with cancer who died in a specialist inpatient palliative care unit: a retrospective study.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- Attitudes of medical doctors, nurses and paramedics towards death.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundProfessionals' personal perceptions of sedated patients in the context of palliative care may influence their opinion on sedation as treatment option. However, little is known of palliative care professionals' perception of patients dying under sedation.
aimTo explore German specialist palliative care team members' views on and perception of the dying process under sedation.
designQualitative phenomenological study using semi-structured interviews ( SETTING/
participantsPhysicians, nurses, psychologists, physical therapists, chaplains, and social workers from 10 palliative care units and 7 specialist palliative homecare teams across 12 German cities.
resultsParticipants' views on patients dying under sedation can be grouped into: (i) those who perceived an influence of sedation on the dying process with and without positive and/or negative connotations and (ii) those who saw no difference between dying with or without sedation. Positive connotations referred to the perception of sedation providing an easier path. Concerns were mainly related to the deprivation of patients regarding a conscious dying. The metaphorical description of sedation as "sleep" was common among participants.
conclusionsThe wide range of perceptions of patients dying under sedation may be rooted in different judgements regarding aspects of a good death. Clarifying ideals of a good death with professionals, patients, and relatives before sedation may support transparent decision-making and help avoid conflicts or moral distress.
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