![]() ![]() ![]() These are, for example, lack of competencies of HPs underestimating the need for information and the fear of taking away the patient’s hope. The barriers in initiating EOL discussions are well described. Thus, although the patients have thoughts about the EOL, the communication and documentation of their wishes are inadequate. Patients living with a life-threatening disease express readiness to talk about the EOL before the healthcare professionals (HPs) address the issue, and these conversations take place very close to death, in the last week of life. As many patients are hospitalized during the final year(s) of life, the EOL also needs to be addressed in hospitals. A recent Danish study has even shown that patients engaged in EOL planning have a significantly increased life expectancy. Research has shown that talking about and planning the EOL is important for how the final days in a patient’s life may play out and is associated with reduced costs as well as a higher quality of care in the final weeks of life. Therefore, it is crucial to understand at what point it is time to talk about the end-of-life (EOL) and how. Many people in today’s ageing population live with life-threatening chronic diseases for several years. At the same time, staff should be trained in initiating and facilitating EOL discussions. This individualistic stance requires the development of conversational tools that can assist both the patients and the relatives who wish to have an EOL conversation and those who do not. The wish to talk about the EOL in an acute hospital setting is an individual matter and great diversity exists. The conversations thus varied between superficial communication and crossing boundaries. Conversations on EOL were an individual matter and ranged from not wanting to think about the EOL, to being ready to plan the funeral and expecting the healthcare professionals to be very open about the EOL. Impairment to the patients’ everyday lives received the main focus, whereas talking about EOL was secondary. This study revealed that the wish to talk about the EOL differed widely between respondents. The interview questions were focused on the respondents’ thoughts on and wishes about their future lives, as well as on their wishes regarding talking about the EOL in a hospital setting. The patients were identified by the medical staff in a medical and surgical ward using SPICT™. A total of 17 respondents (11 patients and six spouses) participated. This study is a qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews. The purpose of this study was to explore the wishes of patients and their relatives with regard to talking about the EOL in an acute hospital setting when living with a life-threatening disease. However, there is therefore a need for further clarification of the actual wishes of patients and their relatives concerning EOL conversations in an acute hospital setting. Talking about the EOL is associated with reduced costs and better quality of care in the final weeks of life. End-of-life (EOL) conversations are highly important for patients living with life-threatening diseases and for their relatives. ![]()
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