Closing the Medical Gap of Care for Patients Who Have Had a Near-Death Experience.
Narrative inquiry in bioethics January 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1353/nib.2020.0011 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPatients who have near-death experiences during hospitalization often face a gap between medical and spiritual care, leading to feelings of isolation and rejection. Medical professionals may show bias after these events, which can have long-term negative consequences. Education in medical schools and continuing education could help professionals better support these individuals.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Patients who had a near-death experience while hospitalized |
| Key finding | Argues that a gap in medical and spiritual care, along with perceived professional bias, contributes to long-term consequences like isolation and rejection for patients who have near-death experiences. |
Abstract
This commentary discusses the twelve stories in which patients tell what happened when they were hospitalized and they had a near-death experience. The stories display a consistent theme of the gap in medical and spiritual care they received, after the patient's near-death experience. This commentary explores the implications of this gap in care for these patients and the perceived medical professionals' bias that occurs after these experiences, which can contribute to long-term consequences such as isolation and rejection. Education in medical schools and continuing education can provide medical professionals with insights needed to support individuals with near-death experiences.