Dealing with Desire to Die in Palliative Care - Evaluation of a Training Program

Objective Palliative care professionals are often confronted with their patients' desire to die and report uncertainties in dealing with it. Therefore, trainings on the topic were conducted and evaluated. Methods Participants in the two-day trainings answered questions about dealing with desire to die before (t0), immediately after (t1), and one year later (t2); at t1, they also answered questions about the training. A subgroup was invited for qualitative interviews at t2. Results Hundred and two palliative care professionals participated in 12 training sessions. Self-assessment of dealing with desire to die improved consistently and significantly afterwards - especially among those who had conversations about desire to die. The qualitative data suggest reasons for this. Conclusion The developed trainings facilitate sustained greater confidence in palliative care professionals in dealing with desire to die and a basis for open discussions when (physician-)assisted suicide is requested.