‘Death Doulas’ are not yet an Issue in German Palliative Care—A National Survey of Palliative Care Providers

Abstract

Background: The support of ‘Death Doulas’ (DD) in the last phase of life is becoming more and more present in the individual care of the dying. This trend is slowly being brought to Germany from other countries. However, the extent to which this possibility of end-of-life care is offered in Germany or requested by patients is still unclear.

Aim: With this nationwide survey, we want to show to what extent DD support palliative care in Germany and whether a need for this activity is seen.

Design: Germany-wide cross-sectional study among palliative care institutions.

Setting/Respondents: All German hospices, palliative care units and specialized outpatient palliative care services were contacted by post and asked to participate in this anonymous survey.

Results: In total, we received 338 (36.4%) responses. A total of 27% of the respondents state that they are familiar with the term DD but only 18 institutions (5.3%) use the support. Patients’ satisfaction is recognized as overall satisfied. A total of 95% of the institutions who work with DD would recommend other palliative care institutions to work with DD as well. More information about this topic is wished by 61%.

Conclusion: DD is not yet an issue in German palliative care. There seems to be little need as the support of the dying is carried out by other professional groups and volunteers. Since DD have another approach in their work, it would be interesting to see if a broader knowledge about their work and offer could improve quality in the dying process.