@article {Nagelschmidtbmjspcare-2020-002219, author = {Katharina Nagelschmidt and Nico Leppin and Carola Seifart and Winfried Rief and Pia von Blanckenburg}, title = {Systematic mixed-method review of barriers to end-of-life communication in the family context}, elocation-id = {bmjspcare-2020-002219}, year = {2020}, doi = {10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002219}, publisher = {British Medical Journal Publishing Group}, abstract = {Background Communication about the end of life is especially important in the family context, as patients and their families are considered as the care unit in palliative care. Open end-of-life communication can positively affect medical, psychological and relational outcomes during the dying process for patient and family. Regardless of the benefits of end-of-life conversations, many patients and their family caregivers speak little about relevant end-of-life issues.Aim To identify barriers that hinder or influence the discussion of end-of-life issues in the family context.Design A systematic mixed-method review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines.Data sources A systematic search of PsycInfo, CINAHL, PubMed and Web of Science was conducted and extended with a hand search. Peer-reviewed primary studies reporting on the barriers to or difficulties in end-of-life conversations experienced by terminally ill patients and/or family caregivers were included in this review.Results 18 qualitative and two quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria. The experiences of n=205 patients and n=738 family caregivers were analysed qualitatively; n=293 patients and n=236 caregivers were surveyed in the questionnaire studies. Five overarching categories emerged from the extracted data: emotional, cognitive, communicative, relational and external processes can hinder end-of-life communication within the family. The most frequently reported barriers are emotional and cognitive processes such as protective buffering or belief in positive thinking.Conclusions Research on end-of-life communication barriers in the family context is scarce. Further research should enhance the development of appropriate assessment tools and interventions to support families with the challenges experienced regarding end-of-life conversations.}, issn = {2045-435X}, URL = {https://spcare.bmj.com/content/early/2020/08/27/bmjspcare-2020-002219}, eprint = {https://spcare.bmj.com/content/early/2020/08/27/bmjspcare-2020-002219.full.pdf}, journal = {BMJ Supportive \& Palliative Care} }