The incidence of deathbed communications and their impact on the dying process.
Madelaine Lawrence, Elizabeth Repede
The American journal of hospice & palliative care November 1, 2013 DOI: 10.1177/1049909112467529 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 135 |
| Population | Hospice patients and hospice nurses across the United States |
| Duration | 30 days before death |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Deathbed communication Deathbed phenomena Deathbed visions End of life |
| Key findings | Deathbed communications are associated with a peaceful and calm death in 89% of cases, compared to 40.5% without such communications, yet they are underreported in patient records. |
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of deathbed communications (DBCs) during the 30 days before death and their impact on the dying process. A total of 60 hospice chart audits and 75 survey responses by hospice nurses across the United States were analyzed. Chart audits revealed 5 (8.33%) of the 60 included descriptions of DBCs. The survey of 75 hospice nurses identified 363 incidences of DBCs, with an average of 4.8 patient occurrences per nurse per 30 days. In all, 89% of the hospice nurses reported patients who experienced a DBC had a peaceful and calm death, with only 40.5% reporting a peaceful and calm death without the DBC. These DBCs have a positive impact on the dying process but are underreported in patient records and under described in textbooks.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands Cardiac patients successfully resuscitated after cardiac arrest in ten Dutch hospitals | 2001 | Prospective cohort study | n = 344 |
| Incidence and correlates of near-death experiences in a cardiac care unit Cardiac inpatients at a tertiary care center | 2003 | Observational cohort | n = 1,595 |
| Features of "near-death experience" in relation to whether or not patients were near death Patients who believed they were near death during an illness or after an injury and... | 1990 | Observational cohort | n = 58 |
| The phenomenology of near-death experiences Subjects who reported near-death experiences | 1980 | Retrospective study | n = 78 |
| Near-Death Experiences and the Temporal Lobe Individuals who reported having had a near-death experience during a life-threatening... | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Fear, Pain, Denial, and Spiritual Experiences in Dying Processes American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine® August 21, 2017
- Toward a postmaterialist psychology: Theory, research, and applications New Ideas in Psychology March 2, 2018
- Transitions: Exploring the Frontier OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying October 29, 2014
- End-of-life experiences in patients: a scoping review of types, characteristics, and implications for the mind-brain relationship. International Review of Psychiatry 2025
- The Phenomenon of End-of-Life Dreams and Visions Through the Eyes of Nurses OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying November 26, 2025
and 5 more in the library