Characteristics of a Good Death as Perceived by Related People in the Upper Northern Thai Context
Keywords:
perception, characteristics, good death, upper Northern Thai contextAbstract
Objective: To describe characteristics of a good death according to related people’s
perception and in the upper Northern Thai context
Design: Qualitative descriptive research
Methodology: The informants, recruited via purposive sampling, consisted of (i) terminal chronic patients; (ii) their caregivers; and (iii) palliative care teams of hospitals in three upper Northern Thai provinces. Then, based on a review of literature relevant to the characteristics of a good death, data collection methods were developed, namely, focus group discussion for 10 groups of 8 informants (80 in total) and in-depth interviews for 45 informants. Both the discussion and the interviews were audiotaped and recorded in writing during April to June 2019. The data were analysed using content analysis.
Results: A good death, as perceived by related persons in the upper Northern Thai context, was characterised by five features: 1) absence of physical discomfort; 2) psychological and spiritual tranquility; 3) preparedness for death; 4) ability to determine the place of death; and 5) assurance of post-mortem care.
Recommendations: People involved in policymaking and end-of-life care can use the findings to formulate indicators of palliative care outcomes for people in their end-of-life stage.
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