Passing on death: An audit of the terminology utilized in discharge summaries for deceased patients.

Death Studies
Anna Habeck-Fardy

Abstract

A retrospective audit of terminology utilized in discharge summaries to convey the death of inpatients in an Australian tertiary hospital was undertaken. Completion rates of summaries for this patient cohort were also assessed. Less than 60% had a summary finalized, and for those that did, euphemisms were utilized most commonly; passed away was employed in >70% of cases. There is no difference in terminology choice between doctors at the beginning, compared to the end, of their first year as a doctor, nor between first year or more experienced doctors. Irrespective of clinician level, doctors use euphemisms to convey a death.

References

Nov 15, 1986·British Medical Journal·R J Mageean
Sep 19, 2001·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·H G Prigerson, S C Jacobs
Apr 4, 2002·Journal of General Internal Medicine·Carl van WalravenAndreas Laupacis
Aug 13, 2003·Journal of General Internal Medicine·Carlton MooreThomas McGinn
May 1, 2004·Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology·Rebecca G HagertyMartin H N Tattersall
Nov 11, 2005·American Journal of Medical Quality : the Official Journal of the American College of Medical Quality·Pratibha RaoDaniel Shine
Mar 15, 2006·Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics : the Official Journal of the British Dietetic Association·F MagkosA Zampelas
Aug 1, 2006·Palliative Medicine·Linda M ForemanDavid M Roder
May 3, 2008·Journal of General Internal Medicine·Richard B BalabanStephanie Woolhandler
Apr 26, 2011·BMJ Quality & Safety·Luke O HansenMark V Williams
Jan 1, 2011·Omega·Luciana Mascarenhas Fonseca, Ines Testoni
May 9, 2012·BMJ Quality & Safety·Namita MohtaJeff Schnipper
Apr 29, 2014·The British Journal of General Practice : the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·Edin Lakasing
Sep 17, 2014·Age and Ageing·Anthea GellieEleanor Flynn
Jan 16, 2015·The Medical Journal of Australia·Hal Swerissen, Stephen J Duckett
Mar 19, 2015·European Journal of Oncology Nursing : the Official Journal of European Oncology Nursing Society·Jane GriffithsGunn Grande
Jan 7, 2016·BMJ Quality Improvement Reports·Aynsley CresswellStephen Hibbs
Feb 26, 2016·Journal of Hospital Medicine : an Official Publication of the Society of Hospital Medicine·Erik H HoyerDaniel J Brotman
May 8, 2016·Postgraduate Medical Journal·Lisa Jane Brighton, Katherine Bristowe
Jan 1, 2014·BMJ Quality Improvement Reports·Andrew P MauriceDarren L Walters
Nov 23, 2016·The British Journal of General Practice : the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners·Suzanne BenchAndreas Xyrichis
Aug 2, 2017·International Journal of Palliative Nursing·Deborah RawlingsLauren Miller-Lewis
Nov 10, 2017·BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care·Lisa Jane BrightonJonathan Koffman

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

The Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association
Charles S Bryan
Journal of Learning Disabilities
L M Lieberman
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved