A Broken Heart—The Physician's Role: Bereaved Parents' Perceptions of Interactions with Physicians

Bright, K; Huff, Marlene B.; Hollon, Karen

doi:10.1177/0009922808327055

Cited by 21 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…47 Evasive answers and incomplete information may undermine trust and interfere with the parents’ ability to cope with the death of their child. 48 Parent-physician interactions with more patient-centered elements, such as increased proportions of empathetic statements, question asking, and emotional talk, positively influence parent satisfaction with care independent of the child’s severity of illness. 49 Parents of dying children also desire simple language in lieu of medical jargon.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

End-of-Life and Bereavement Care in Pediatric Intensive Care Units

Suttle

Jenkins

Tamburro

2017

Pediatric Clinics of North America

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Most childhood deaths in the United States occur in hospitals and the majority of these in intensive care settings. Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) clinicians must anticipate, identify and effectively treat the dying child’s pain and suffering, as well as support the psychosocial and spiritual needs of the child and their family. Such timely therapy and support may facilitate comfort and a peaceful death, and also help family members adjust to their loss. Effective communication that is candid and compassionate is paramount to successful end of life (EOL) care, as is creating an environment that encourages parent participation in their child’s care and fosters meaningful family interactions. Despite these supportive efforts, parents whose children die often experience reduced mental and physical health during bereavement. Finally, many ethical issues surround EOL care in the PICU, and as such, several professional societies have published recommendations and policies addressing these issues. PICU clinicians should stay current on these recommendations and policies and maintain a working understanding of their implications.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

End-of-Life and Bereavement Care in Pediatric Intensive Care Units

Suttle

Jenkins

Tamburro

2017

Pediatric Clinics of North America

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“…Many childhood deaths in the U.S. occur in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) (2). Studies conducted in this setting suggest that PICU staff are often a welcome source of support for bereaved parents and families (3-7). Such support may take many forms including condolence letters, phone calls, attendance at funerals or memorial services, and follow-up visits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiciansʼ experiences and perspectives regarding follow-up meetings with parents after a childʼs death in the pediatric intensive care unit

Meert

Eggly

Berger

et al. 2011

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

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Objective Parents of children who die in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) often desire a follow-up meeting with the physicians who cared for their child. Our objective is to investigate critical care physicians’ experiences and perspectives regarding follow-up meetings with parents after a child’s death in the PICU. Design Semi-structured, audio-recorded telephone interviews. Setting Six clinical centers affiliated with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network (CPCCRN). Participants Seventy critical care physicians (i.e., attendings and fellows) practicing or training at a CPCCRN clinical center between February 1, 2008 and June 30, 2008. Measurements and Main Results Twenty-three (33%) physicians reported never participating in a follow-up meeting with bereaved parents; 22 (31%) participated in 1-5; and 25 (36%) participated in more than 5. Of those with prior experience, 44 (94%) met with parents at the hospital and 40 (85%) met within 3 months of the death. Meeting content included discussing autopsy, parent questions, hospital course, cause of death, genetic risk, bereavement services, and legal or administrative issues; providing emotional support; and receiving parent feedback. Forty (85%) physicians perceived the meetings to be beneficial to families, and 35 (74%) to physicians. Barriers included time and scheduling, family and physician unwillingness, distance and transportation, language and cultural issues, parent anger, and lack of a system for meeting initiation and planning. Conclusions Critical care physicians have a wide range of experience conducting follow-up meetings with bereaved parents. Although physicians perceive benefits to follow-up meetings, barriers exist that interfere with their implementation in clinical practice.

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“…The framework is primarily based on the experiences and perspectives of bereaved parents and PICU physicians and, therefore, may be adaptable to a wide variety of settings and family circumstances. These meetings have been recommended by parents, clinicians, and professional societies as having the potential to facilitate healthy bereavement among parents (7, 8, 10, 17–20). The meetings may also provide professional gratification for physicians and other clinicians and reduce burnout and compassion fatigue associated with working in the PICU (13, 14).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…PICU physicians and staff also have psychosocial needs after the death of a child under their care (11, 12) and are susceptible to stress-related syndromes, such as burnout and compassion fatigue related to the stress of caring for chronically ill and dying children (13–16). To address these needs, clinicians, parents, and professional organizations have recommended that PICU physicians offer to meet with bereaved parents after the death of a child as part of routine care (7, 8, 10, 17–20). …”

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confidence: 99%

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A framework for conducting follow-up meetings with parents after a childʼs death in the pediatric intensive care unit*

Eggly

Meert

Berger

et al. 2011

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

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Objective To describe a framework to assist pediatric intensive care unit physicians in conducting follow-up meetings with parents after their child's death. Many childhood deaths occur in pediatric intensive care units. Parents of children who die in pediatric intensive care units often desire a follow-up meeting with the physician(s) who cared for their child. Data Sources Prior research conducted by the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network on the experiences and perspectives of bereaved parents and pediatric intensive care unit physicians regarding the desirability, content, and conditions of follow-up meetings. Results The framework includes suggestions for inviting families to follow-up meetings (i.e., developing an institutional system, invitation timing, and format); preparing for the meeting (i.e., assessing family preferences; determining location, attendees, and discussion topics; reviewing medical and psychosocial history); structure of the meeting (i.e., opening, closing, and developing a meeting agenda); communicating effectively during the meeting; and follow-up for both parents and physicians. Conclusion This framework is based on the experience and perspectives of bereaved parents and pediatric intensive care unit physicians. Future research should be conducted to determine the extent to which physician-parent follow-up meetings provide a benefit to parents, families, physicians, and other healthcare providers participating in these encounters.

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A Broken Heart—The Physician's Role: Bereaved Parents' Perceptions of Interactions with Physicians

Cited by 21 publications

References 11 publications

End-of-Life and Bereavement Care in Pediatric Intensive Care Units

End-of-Life and Bereavement Care in Pediatric Intensive Care Units

Physiciansʼ experiences and perspectives regarding follow-up meetings with parents after a childʼs death in the pediatric intensive care unit

A framework for conducting follow-up meetings with parents after a childʼs death in the pediatric intensive care unit*

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