Medical Staff’s Support for Family Members Who Verbally Communicate Feelings to Patients in Palliative Care Units: A Survey of Bereaved Family Members

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the presence and evaluation of eight types of support by medical staff for family members that aid the verbal communication of feelings to patients (i.e., verbal communication support for family members) in palliative care units. Further, the relationship between the presence of “verbal communication support for family members” and the variables of a “good relationship between patient and family,” and “overall care satisfaction” was assessed. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 968 bereaved family members of patients who died in 103 palliative care units in Japan. Results: A total of 536 responses were analyzed. Although the proportion of the families who received support differed depending on the content, the evaluation of the support received by the families was positive overall. Multiple regression analysis showed a significant positive association (p<0.05) for all eight types of support and those family members who reported a good relationship between patient and family. The results also showed a significant positive association (p<0.05) between four support types (concrete proposal of families’ verbalization to the patients, telling to the patients the feelings that families want to convey, ensuring that the patients can hear, and words to families that imply the patient’s feelings toward his/her family) and overall care satisfaction. Conclusion: Identifying methods to improve medical staff’s “verbal communication support for families” in daily care may ultimately strengthen the relationship between patients and their families as well as lead to their increased satisfaction with care.