SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Sağlık Akademisyenleri Dergisi / 2025 / Cilt: 12 Sayı: 4

Evaluation of the death notification process in hospitals from the perspectives of physicians and relatives of the deceased

Hastanelerde ölüm bildirimi sürecinin hekimler ve hasta yakınları perspektifinden değerlendirilmesi

Deniz Güneş(SÜLEYMAN DEMİREL ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-1995-8142
Ramazan Erdem(SÜLEYMAN DEMİREL ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-6951-3814
Pages
683–691
Publication Date
2026-01-01
DOI
—
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

As a result of the study, five key recommendations were developed to improve the death notification process in hospitals: (1) death notification training for physicians, (2) development of death notification protocols based on cultural and evidence-based approaches, (3) creation of appropriate physical environments for delivering death notifications, (4) provision of practical and psychological support to bereaved relatives, and (5) supportive environments and psychological support for physicians.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:The death notification process involves conveying the fact of an individual's death to other persons or groups, either verbally or in writing.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Today, the majority of deaths occur in hospital settings.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:As a result of the study, five key recommendations were developed to improve the death notification process in hospitals: (1) death notification training for physicians, (2) development of death notification protocols based on cultural and evidence-based approaches, (3) creation of appropriate physical environments for delivering death notifications, (4) provision of practical and psychological support to bereaved relatives, and (5) supportive environments and psychological support for physicians.
🔬Design:Derleme
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:ölüm · ölüm bildirimi · hekim

Abstract

The death notification process involves conveying the fact of an individual's death to other persons or groups, either verbally or in writing. Today, the majority of deaths occur in hospital settings. In this context, physicians and bereaved relatives involved in the hospital-based death notification process are affected by this experience in different ways. The aim of this study is to examine the death notification process in light of the existing literature and to explore how this process is experienced by physicians and bereaved relatives in hospitals, in order to propose constructive recommendations. As a result of the study, five key recommendations were developed to improve the death notification process in hospitals: (1) death notification training for physicians, (2) development of death notification protocols based on cultural and evidence-based approaches, (3) creation of appropriate physical environments for delivering death notifications, (4) provision of practical and psychological support to bereaved relatives, and (5) supportive environments and psychological support for physicians.

Özet

Ölüm bildirimi süreci, bir bireyin yaşamını yitirmesinin ardından bu durumun sözlü ya da yazılı yollarla başka kişi ya da gruplara iletilmesini kapsar. Günümüzde ölümlerin büyük çoğunluğu hastane ortamında gerçekleşmektedir. Hastanelerdeki ölüm bildirimi sürecine dâhil olan hekimler ve hasta yakınları bu deneyimden farklı şekillerde etkilenmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, mevcut literatür doğrultusunda ölüm bildirimi sürecini incelemek ve hastane ortamında bu sürecin hekimler ile hasta yakınları açısından nasıl deneyimlendiğini inceleyerek iyileştirici öneriler sunmaktır. Çalışma sonucunda, hastanelerdeki ölüm bildirimi sürecinin iyileştirilmesine yönelik beş temel öneri geliştirilmiştir: (1) hekimlere yönelik ölüm bildirimi eğitimi, (2) kültürel ve kanıta dayalı yaklaşımlarla ölüm bildirimi protokollerinin geliştirilmesi (3) ölüm bildirimine uygun fiziksel ortamın oluşturulması, (4) hasta yakınlarına pratik ve psikolojik destek ve (5) hekimlere yönelik destekleyici ortam ve psikolojik destek.

🔖

Cite This Article

Güneş, D., Erdem, R. (2026). Evaluation of the death notification process in hospitals from the perspectives of physicians and relatives of the deceased. Sağlık Akademisyenleri Dergisi, Cilt: 12 Sayı: 4, 683–691. https://ajindex.com/articles/1538503

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (53)

  1. Ajdacic-Gross, V., Ring, M., Gadola, E., Lauber, C., Bopp, M., Gutzwiller, F., & Rössler, W. (2008). Suicide after bereavement: An overlooked problem. Psychological Medicine, 38(5), 673-676. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291708002754
  2. Baile, W. F., Buckman, R., Lenzi, R., Glober, G., Beale, E. A., & Kudelka, A. P. (2000). SPIKES—A Six-Step Protocol for Delivering Bad News: Application to the Patient with Cancer. The Oncologist, 5(4), 302-311. https://doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.5-4-302
  3. Bailey, F. A., & Williams, B. R. (2005). Preparation of residents for death pronouncement: A sensitive and supportive method. Palliative and Supportive Care, 3(2), 107-114. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951505050182
  4. Bowyer, M. W., Hanson, J. L., Pimentel, E. A., Flanagan, A. K., Rawn, L. M., Rizzo, A. G., Ritter, E. M., & Lopreiato, J. O. (2010). Teaching Breaking Bad News Using Mixed Reality Simulation. Journal of Surgical Research, 159(1), 462-467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2009.04.032
  5. Broad, J. B., Gott, M., Kim, H., Boyd, M., Chen, H., & Connolly, M. J. (2013). Where do people die? An international comparison of the percentage of deaths occurring in hospital and residential aged care settings in 45 populations, using published and available statistics. International Journal of Public Health, 58(2), 257-267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0394-5
  6. Brown, R., Dunn, S., Byrnes, K., Morris, R., Heinrich, P., & Shaw, J. (2009). Doctorsʼ Stress Responses and Poor Communication Performance in Simulated Bad-News Consultations: Academic Medicine, 84(11), 1595-1602. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181baf537
  7. Cacciatore, J., & DeFrain, J. (Ed.). (2016). The World of Bereavement: Cultural Perspectives on Death in Families (Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2015 edition). Springer.
  8. Campos, A., Ernest, E. V., Cash, R. E., Rivard, M. K., Panchal, A. R., Clemency, B. M., Swor, R. A., & Crowe, R. P. (2021). The Association of Death Notification and Related Training with Burnout among Emergency Medical Services Professionals. Prehospital Emergency Care, 25(4), 539-548. https://doi.org/10.1080/10903127.2020.1785599
  9. Cunningham, C., Mayers, P., Giddy, J., De Swardt, M., & Hodkinson, P. (2024). ‘I am afraid the news is not good’ – Breaking bad news in the time of COVID: Experiences from a field hospital. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v16i1.4509
  10. De Leo, D., Anile, C., & Ziliotto, A. (2015). Violent Deaths and Traumatic Bereavement: The Importance of Appropriate Death Notification. Humanities, 4(4), 702-713. https://doi.org/10.3390/h4040702
  11. De Leo, D., Guarino, A., Congregalli, B., Zammarrelli, J., Valle, A., Paoloni, S., & Cipolletta, S. (2022). Receiving Notification of Unexpected and Violent Death: A Qualitative Study of Italian Survivors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), 10709. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710709
  12. De Leo, D., Zammarrelli, J., Marinato, G., Capelli, M., & Viecelli Giannotti, A. (2023). Best Practices for Notification of Unexpected, Violent, and Traumatic Death: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(13), 6222. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20136222
  13. De Leo, D., Zammarrelli, J., Viecelli Giannotti, A., Donna, S., Bertini, S., Santini, A., & Anile, C. (2020). Notification of Unexpected, Violent and Traumatic Death: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2229. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02229
  14. Emergency Resilience. (2025). Death Communication® training for first responders. Erişim Eylül 15, 2025, https://emergencyresilience.thinkific.com/courses/death-communication
  15. Naik, S. B. (2013). Death in the hospital: Breaking the bad news to the bereaved family. Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine: Peer-Reviewed, Official Publication of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine, 17(3), 178–181. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-5229.117067
  16. CNN Türk. (2018, Aralık 22). Ölüm haberini alınca hastanede dehşet saçtılar—CNN TÜRK Son Haberler. CNN TÜRK. https://www.cnnturk.com/turkiye/olum-haberini-alinca-hastanede-dehset-sactilar-900452
  17. Fridh, I., Forsberg, A., & Bergbom, I. (2009). Close relatives’ experiences of caring and of the physical environment when a loved one dies in an ICU. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 25(3), 111-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2008.11.002
  18. Güven, B. B., Maden, Ö., Satar, A. D., & Ersoy, A. (2022). Factors affecting the emotional reactions of patient relatives who receive news of death: A prospective observational study. BMC Psychology, 10(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00763-2
  19. Habertürk. (2021, Ocak 6). Hastanede dehşet saçtılar! Son dakika haberleri | Son dakika haberleri. Habertürk. https://www.haberturk.com/son-dakika-haberi-saglik-calisanlarina-alcak-saldirida-flas-karar-haberler-2928301
  20. Hassankhani, H., Haririan, H., Porter, J. E., & Heaston, S. (2018). Cultural aspects of death notification following cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 74(7), 1564-1572. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13558
  21. Heiner, J. D., & Trabulsy, M. E. (2011). Coping With the Death of a Patient in the Emergency Department. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 58(3), 295-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2010.12.022 Hiratsuka, Y., Miyashita, M., Uneno, Y., Oya, K., Okamoto, S., Kessoku, T., Mawatari, H., Oyamada, S., Nozato, J.,
  22. Tagami, K., & Inoue, A. (2022). Development and Validation of the Death Pronouncement Burden Scale for Oncology Practice. Palliative Medicine Reports, 3(1), 39-46. https://doi.org/10.1089/pmr.2021.0082
  23. Hobgood, C., Harward, D., Newton, K., & Davis, W. (2005). The Educational Intervention “GRIEV_ING” Improves the Death Notification Skills of Residents. Academic Emergency Medicine, 12(4), 296-301. https://doi.org/10.1197/j.aem.2004.12.008
  24. Hofmann, L., Glaesmer, H., Przyrembel, M., & Wagner, B. (2023). The Impact of Police Behavior During Death Notifications on Mental Health of the Bereaved: A Cross-Sectional Study. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 87(2), 344-362. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228211019202
  25. Janzen, L., Cadell, S., & Westhues, A. (2004). From Death Notification Through the Funeral: Bereaved Parents’ Experiences and Their Advice to Professionals. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 48(2), 149-164. https://doi.org/10.2190/6XUW-4PYD-H88Q-RQ08
  26. Jensen, L. A. (Ed.). (2015). The Oxford Handbook of Human Development and Culture: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199948550.001.0001
  27. Jurkovich, G. J., Pierce, B., Pananen, L., & Rivara, F. P. (2000). Giving Bad News: The Family Perspective. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 48(5), 865.
  28. Kaloti, Z., Nabaty, R., Mohamed, A., Surapaneni, S., Gaynier, A., & Levine, D. L. (2022). Death Pronouncement: Preparing Incoming Residents for Duties When Life Ends. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.25275
  29. Kent, H., & McDowell, J. (2004). Sudden bereavement in acute care settings. Nursing Standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain): 1987), 19(6), 38–42. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.19.6.38.s62
  30. Klein, S., & Alexander, D. A. (2003). Good grief: A medical challenge. Trauma, 5(4), 261-271. https://doi.org/10.1191/1460408603ta292oa
  31. Lagrine, M., Bennaoui, F., El Idrissi Slitine, N., & Mrabih Rabou Maoulainine, F. (2020). Death Announcement: Difficulties and Pediatricians’ Experiences. International Journal of Psychological and Brain Sciences, 5(2), 28. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijpbs.20200502.11
  32. McCarroll, J. E., Fisher, J. E., Cozza, S. J., Mash, H. H., Biggs, Q. M., Flynn, B. W., & Walsh, T. (2024). Notification, Viewing the Body, and Social and Cultural Considerations After Traumatic Death: A Systematic Literature Review. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 18, e256. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2024.125
  33. McGill, G., Wilson-Menzfeld, G., Moreland, M., & Kiernan, M. D. (2022). “Knock on the Door” – Exploration of Casualty Notification and the Long-Term Impact on Military Families in the UK. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 27(6), 547-564. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2021.2009264
  34. Merlevede, E., Spooren, D., Henderick, H., Portzky, G., Buylaert, W., Jannes, C., Calle, P., Van Staey, M., De Rock, C., Smeesters, L., Michem, N., & Van Heeringen, K. (2004). Perceptions, needs and mourning reactions of bereaved relatives confronted with a sudden unexpected death. Resuscitation, 61(3), 341-348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2004.01.024
  35. Murtha, T. D., Johnson, R. R., Ellman, M. S., Martin, A. S., Morrison, L. J., & Talwalkar, J. S. (2025). Experiences of Simulated Phone Death Notification. The Clinical Teacher, 22(1), e13846. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.13846
  36. Nordström, A., Fjellman-Wiklund, A., & Grysell, T. (2011). Drama as a pedagogical tool for practicing death notification-experiences from Swedish medical students. BMC Medical Education, 11(1), 74. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-11-74
  37. Ombres, R., Montemorano, L., & Becker, D. (2017). Death Notification: Someone Needs To Call the Family. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 20(6), 672-675. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2016.0481
  38. Park, I., Gupta, A., Mandani, K., Haubner, L., & Peckler, B. (2010). Breaking bad news education for emergency medicine residents: A novel training module using simulation with the SPIKES protocol. Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock, 3(4), 385. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2700.70760
  39. Peng, Y., Wu, H., Zhang, M., & Huang, P. (2025). Family members’ experiences of bereavement in the emergency department: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Death Studies, 49(3), 300-311. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2024.2324907
  40. Penzes, L. (2023). Understanding healthcare professionals’ lived experiences of death in the Emergency Department and the influence of personal values and norms [Phd, University of Southampton]. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/481004/
  41. Pollack, M. (1999). Educating new resident physicians in death notification. Academic Medicine, 74(6), 721.
  42. Pullen, S., Golden, M. A., & Cacciatore, J. (2012). “I’ll Never Forget Those Cold Words as Long as I Live”: Parent Perceptions of Death Notification for Stillbirth. Journal of Social Work in End-Of-Life & Palliative Care, 8(4), 339-355. https://doi.org/10.1080/15524256.2012.732022
  43. Redinbaugh, E. M. (2003). Doctors’ emotional reactions to recent death of a patient: Cross sectional study of hospital doctors. BMJ, 327(7408), 185. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.327.7408.185
  44. Schmidt, T. A., Norton, R. L., & Tolle, S. W. (1992). Sudden death in the ed: Educating residents to compassionately inform families. The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 10(5), 643-647. https://doi.org/10.1016/0736-4679(92)90155-M
  45. Schuneman, C. A. (2008). The lived experience of physicians before, during, and after death notification: A phenomenological investigation (Yayın No. 3400369) [Doktora tezi, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
  46. Shoenberger, J., Yeghiazarian, S., Rios, C., & Henderson, S. (2013). Death Notification in the Emergency Department: Survivors and Physicians. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 14(2), 181-185. https://doi.org/10.5811/westjem.2012.10.14193
  47. Smith, T. L., Walz, B. J., & Smith, R. L. (1999). A death education curriculum for emergency physicians, paramedics, and other emergency personnel. Prehospital Emergency Care, 3(1), 37-41. https://doi.org/10.1080/10903129908958904
  48. Sobczak, K. (2013). Procedura powiadamiania o śmierci pacjenta—“In Person, In Time…”. Anestezjologia Intensywna Terapia, 45(4), 241-243. https://doi.org/10.5603/AIT.2013.0046
  49. Sobczak, K. (2022). The “CONNECT” Protocol: Delivering Bad News by Phone or Video Call. International Journal of General Medicine, Volume 15, 3567-3572. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S358723
  50. Strote, J., Schroeder, E., Lemos, J., Paganelli, R., Solberg, J., & Range Hutson, H. (2011). Academic Emergency Physicians’ Experiences With Patient Death. Academic Emergency Medicine, 18(3), 255-260. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1553-2712.2011.01004.x
  51. Swihart, D. L., Yarrarapu, S. N. S., & Martin, R. L. (2025). Cultural Religious Competence in Clinical Practice. Içinde StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493216/
  52. Testoni, I., Iacona, E., Palazzo, L., Barzizza, B., Baldrati, B., Mazzon, D., Navalesi, P., Mistraletti, G., & Leo, D. D. (2021). Death Notification in Italian Critical Care Units and Emergency Services. A Qualitative Study with Physicians, Nurses and Relatives. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(24), 13338. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413338
  53. VandeKieft, G. K. (2001). Breaking bad news. American Family Physician, 64(12), 1975-1978. Williams, A. G., O’Brien, D. L., Laughton, K. J., & Jelinek, G. A. (2000). Improving services to bereaved relatives in the emergency department: Making healthcare more human. Medical Journal of Australia, 173(9), 480-483. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2000.tb139300.x.