Follow-up of grieving families in general and family medicine: a cross-sectional study on the practices and attitudes of family doctors.

INTRODUCTION

Family physicians (FPs) provide essential support during life's most challenging moments, including experiences of grief and loss. After a patient's death, FPs are expected to provide information and emotional support to bereaved family members. Prior research suggests that bereaved relatives expect follow-up contact from their FP, acknowledging it as part of the physician's role. This study aims to explore the practices and attitudes of FPs towards bereaved family members.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted through an online questionnaire, exploring participants' perceived role in bereavement care, the type of support offered to families, available resources in primary care, as well as personal knowledge and approach on grief. This questionnaire was distributed via digital platforms to general and family medicine doctors.

RESULTS

A total of 210 physicians participated (84.3% female; 53.8% in residency), with a median age of 32 years old. On average, each FP experienced five patient deaths, most often reported by family members. More than half (53.3%) contacted bereaved families in fewer than 25% of cases, typically within 7 days of the death, most commonly by phone (76.5%).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights significant gaps in the bereavement follow-up practices of FPs in Portugal. Findings emphasise the need for integrated bereavement care guidelines in primary care, institutional policies and investment in targeted training programmes to enhance grief's approach. The reported lack of grief training reinforces the need to integrate grief education into medical curriculum and continuous professional development. Structural improvements, such as the implementation of automatic death notifications within the healthcare system, are also critical for enabling timely and effective support.