Han Hyoung Suk, Kim Mi Young
Seoul National University Hospital, Center for Palliative Care & Clinical Ethics, Seoul, Korea.
College of Nursing, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
J Hosp Palliat Care. 2025 Jun 1;28(2):40-55. doi: 10.14475/jhpc.2025.28.2.40.
This study aimed to understand and explore the experiences of families of patients with cancer who died in a tertiary hospital providing palliative care consultation during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with bereaved families of patients with cancer who received palliative care consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary hospital in Seoul. The data were analyzed using a phenomenological research method.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, families experienced anxiety and guilt due to the limitations of caregiving opportunities and became aware of the lack of existing support systems. Thematic analysis revealed four essential themes family agitation in uncertainty, palliative care that gives strength in isolated situations, reflection on the indescribable loss, and appealing to the world regarding the desperate need for a support system.
During the pandemic, families struggled to express love and fulfill caregiving roles, with caregivers facing increased emotional pressure and burnout. Communication between patients, families, and medical staff and comprehensive support for family members' end-of-life preparation are necessary. This will serve as basic data for understanding the experiences of families of dying patients with cancer at tertiary hospitals in the non-face-to-face era and for end-of-life care, including palliative care consultations in healthcare settings.
本研究旨在了解和探索在2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行期间，在一家提供姑息治疗咨询服务的三级医院中，癌症患者死亡的家属的经历。
对首尔一家三级医院在COVID-19大流行期间接受姑息治疗咨询的癌症患者的遗属进行了半结构式访谈。采用现象学研究方法对数据进行分析。
在COVID-19大流行期间，家属因护理机会受限而感到焦虑和内疚，并意识到现有支持系统的不足。主题分析揭示了四个基本主题：不确定性中的家庭躁动、在孤立情况下给予力量的姑息治疗、对难以言表的损失的反思以及就对支持系统的迫切需求向世界发出呼吁。
在大流行期间，家属难以表达爱意并履行护理职责，护理人员面临更大的情感压力和倦怠。患者、家属和医务人员之间的沟通以及对家属临终准备的全面支持是必要的。这将作为了解非面对面时代三级医院中癌症临终患者家属经历以及包括医疗机构姑息治疗咨询在内的临终关怀的基础数据。
