“The communication I had with him back then is still stuck in my mind.” Bereaved families of cancer patients’ experiences for end-of-life communication

PURPOSE: Communication with family members is important to end-of-life care for patients with cancer. It is an interactive engagement between terminally-ill cancer patients and their families through which they expand their mutual understanding to cope with losses and find meaning in death. This study aimed to describe the experiences of end-of-life communication between patients with cancer and their family members in South Korea. METHODS: This is a qualitative descriptive study using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Ten bereaved family members with end-of-life communication experience with terminal cancer patients were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: A total of 29 constructed meanings, 11 sub-categories, and the following 3 categories were derived: “Offering a space for patients to reminisce and reflect,” “Building a bond,” and “Reflections on what we need.” End-of-life communication primarily centered on the patients, with families struggling to share their stories with them. Although the families coped well, they also regretted the lack of meaningful communication with the patients, indicating a need for support to facilitate effective end-of-life communication. CONCLUSION: The study highlighted concrete communication for finding meaning at the end-of-life for cancer patients and their families. We found that the families have the potential to communicate appropriately to cope with the patients’ end-of-life. Nevertheless, end-of-life presents a unique challenge in which families require adequate support. Given the increasing number of patients and families dealing with end-of-life care in hospitals, healthcare providers should be mindful of their needs and help them cope effectively. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-023-07753-z.