How to talk with dying patients and their families after disasters and humanitarian crises: a review of available tools and guides for disaster responders

Abstract

Abstract In responding to those affected by sudden onset disasters and chronic humanitarian crises, disaster responders and humanitarian aid workers will face the challenge of caring for dying patients. While medical intervention may be severely limited or constrained, bearing witness by listening and being able to compassionately communicate with such victims and their families is an important skill. This review examines the current literature on communication training and palliative care-skills for disaster workers and offers a menu of communication tools including guidelines developed for administering palliative care in non-disaster settings that can be used by both disaster responders and humanitarian aid workers.

Keywords

• Palliative care in disasters
• Delivering bad news
• Disaster training
• SPIKES protocol
• Psychological first aid
• Serious illness conversation