This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Brayne, S. Articles by Fenwick, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brayne, S. Articles by Fenwick, P. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Deathbed phenomena and their effect on a palliative care team: A pilot study

Palliative Care Team, Camden Primary Care Trust, London, United Kingdom

Chris Farnham, MD, FRCPsych

Palliative Care Team, Camden Primary Care Trust, London, United Kingdom

Peter Fenwick, MD, FRCPsych

Palliative Care Team, Camden Primary Care Trust; Kings College Institute of Psychiatry; Mental Health Group, Royal South Hants Hospital, London, United Kingdom, peter_fenwick{at}compuserve.com

Anecdotal evidence suggests that death may be heralded by deathbed phenomena (DBP) such as visions that comfort the dying and prepare them spiritually for death. Medical practitioners have been slow to recognize DBP, and there has been little research into the spiritual effect that DBP have on caregivers or on how these phenomena influence their work. A pilot study looking into the occurrence of DBP was conducted by the palliative care team at Camden Primary Care Trust. Interviews revealed that patients regularly report these phenomena as an important part of their dying process, and that DBP are far broader than the traditional image of an apparition at the end of the bed. Results of the interviews raise concerns about the lack of education or training to help palliative care teams recognize the wider implications of DBP and deal with difficult questions or situations associated with them. Many DBP may go unreported because of this. Results of this pilot study also suggest that DBP are not drug-induced, and that patients would rather talk to nurses than doctors about their experiences.

Key Words: end of life • palliative care • deathbed phenomena • spirituality

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Vol. 23, No. 1, 17-24 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/104990910602300104


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Brayne, H. Lovelace, and P. Fenwick End-of-Life Experiences and the Dying Process in a Gloucestershire Nursing Home as Reported by Nurses and Care Assistants American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, June 1, 2008; 25(3): 195 - 206. [Abstract] [PDF]