Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40123491›Full record

ArticlePalliative & supportive care2025

Talking about desire to die: Talking past each other? A framework analysis of interview triads with patients, informal caregivers, and health professionals.

Kathleen Boström, Thomas Dojan, Thessa Thölking, Leonie Gehrke, Carolin Rosendahl, Raymond Voltz, Kerstin Kremeike

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Palliative & supportive care, 2025. 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

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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. Observational
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

7 authors.

Kathleen BoströmFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Department of Palliative Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3159-6535
Thomas DojanFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Department of Palliative Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Thessa ThölkingDepartment of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Leonie GehrkeFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Department of Palliative Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Carolin RosendahlFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Department of Palliative Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Raymond VoltzFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Department of Palliative Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Kerstin KremeikeFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Department of Palliative Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesUp to 40% of seriously ill patients develop a (temporary) desire to die which can lead to requests for assisted dying. Health professionals often feel uncertain about addressing these topics, while informal caregivers may feel guilty and left out. Open and respectful communication proves beneficial. It remains unclear how this communication ideal realizes within the lived experience of all 3 parties. Therefore, we conducted in-depth analysis of communication strategies about desire to die from triangulated perspectives of patients, informal caregivers, and health professionals.

methodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with purposefully sampled triads consisting of seriously ill patients, their respective informal caregivers and health professionals. Interviews were part of the qualitative evaluation of a 3-phase mixed-methods study on the effects of communication about desire to die on seriously ill patients. We followed a framework analysis approach to build communication types.

resultsFrom the SIGNIFICANCE OF

resultsAwareness of typical communication strategies is necessary to foresee potential pitfalls such as loss of information or acting on unchecked assumptions. To reduce distress and increase information flow, health professionals should actively approach informal caregivers for desire to die conversations.

Indexed as

Attitude to DeathCaregiversCommunicationHealth PersonnelPatientsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative Researchcommunicationdeath talkDesire to dieframework analysispalliative care

Identifiers

PMID40123491
PMCPMC13166705

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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.