Improving Student Comfort With Death and Dying Discussions Through Facilitated Family Encounters

• Published in: Academic psychiatry Vol. 36; no. 3; pp. 188 - 190
• Main Authors: Schillerstrom, Jason E., Sanchez-Reilly, Sandra, O’Donnell, Louise
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.05.2012; American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Behavior; College students; Communication; Control Groups; Curriculum; Death; Death & dying; Discussion; Education; Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods; Family - psychology; Family Attitudes; Group Discussion; Hospice Care - psychology; Hospices (Terminal Care); Humans; Learning; Learning Activities; Medical Education; Medical schools; Medical Students; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; National Surveys; Original Article; Palliative care; Patients; Psychiatry; Psychological aspects; Retrospective Studies; Speech Communication; Student Improvement; Students, Medical - psychology; Teaching Methods; Terminal Care - psychology; Academic Psychiatry; Geriatric Psychiatrist; Comfort Level; Palliative Medicine; Medical Student
• ISSN: 1042-9670; 1545-7230
• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ap.10020032

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the educational potential for a collaboration between palliative medicine and psychiatry designed to improve first-year medical students’ knowledge and comfort with end-of-life issues through a facilitated small-group discussion with family members of recently-deceased loved ones. Methods A group of 222 first-year medical students were divided into 14 small groups. Each group also consisted of two mental-health providers, one palliative-medicine interdisciplinary team member, and one family member of a recently-deceased hospice patient. A death- and- dying discussion between students and family members was facilitated by the mental-health and palliative-medicine faculty and was followed by post-activity evaluations. Results As a result of the facilitated activity, 77% of participants reported increased comfort levels and 85% reported improved knowledge of end-of-life issues. Students reporting benefit were more likely to perceive higher facilitator and family comfort levels with end-of-life discussions, better activity organization, and utility of post-encounter group discussion. Conclusion Facilitated conversations between students and family members of recently-deceased loved ones may improve comfort and knowledge with end-of-life conversations. Future studies should explore the longer-range impact of this educational activity.