Background: Discussing death, particularly among future healthcare professionals, remains a challenge. The "Death Café" initiative offers a relaxed setting for such conversations, and this study investigates its educational potential for medical students.
Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of "Death Café" as an educational tool for medical students in palliative care, and to understand students' perceptions and reflections on death and end-of-life topics post-participation.
Design: An exploratory qualitative design was employed, analyzing reflections submitted by medical students following voluntary participation in a Death Café session.
Methods: Medical students from a course on palliative care participated in the "Death Café," a structured yet informal discussion about death in a relaxed café setting. Subsequently, participants submitted written reflections on their experiences. These reflections were analyzed using a thematic analysis method, identifying emerging themes related to the students' perceptions of death, the event, and its impact on their future medical practice.
Results: Forty-two students attended the Death Café. Twenty-one reflections were collected from 29 medical students who participated. Most students found the "Death Café" environment conducive to open conversations about death. Key themes included recognizing the fragility of life, the role of medical professionals in end-of-life care, and the personal and professional growth derived from such reflections. The students also highlighted the transformative nature of the event, shifting from discussing death in general to pondering on their roles as future healthcare professionals. Positive feedback indicated the absence of negative comments about the activity, with suggestions provided for future iterations.
Conclusion: The "Death Café" serves as an innovative pedagogical approach to medical education, particularly in palliative care teaching. It offers students a platform for sincere dialogue on death and reinforces the significance of integrating innovative methods in medical training. This initiative not only enriches personal understanding but also emphasizes the commitment to holistic patient care.
Keywords: Death Café; medical education; palliative care teaching; qualitative research.
Embracing conversations about death: enhancing palliative care education for medical students through “Death Café” discussions Talking about death can be challenging, especially for students training to become healthcare professionals. The “Death Café” is a unique place where people can have relaxed conversations about death. This study explores if it can help medical students learn about end-of-life care. To do this, we asked medical students to participate in a “Death Café” event and share their thoughts afterward. We collected feedback from 29 students who attended. Most of them felt that the “Death Café” was a good place to discuss death. They talked about how fragile life is and the role of medical professionals in caring for people at the end-of-life. They also mentioned personal and professional growth from these conversations. The students appreciated the event’s transformational nature. They went from talking about death in general to thinking about their future roles as healthcare providers. We didn’t receive any negative feedback, but students gave suggestions for future “Death Café” events. In conclusion, the “Death Café” is an innovative way to teach medical students about end-of-life care. It encourages open conversations about death and shows the importance of creative teaching methods in medical education. This approach helps students not only understand the subject better but also emphasizes the need for holistic patient care.
© The Author(s), 2024.