[The academic background of the physician and the communication of a patient's death to family members].
Communicating the death of a patient always brings about a certain degree of insecurity in the physician.


METHODS
To evaluate this issue, 121 family members of patients who died at our hospital as well as the professional who conveyed the information were interviewed.


RESULTS
We verified that 12.1% of the families disapproved of how they were told about the death, and that 26.4% did not receive any attention at all from the medical staff. Physicians find that the most difficult situations arise when they have to notify the death of young patients (43.3%), death from an acute disease (56.6%), and when the family does not understand the situation (17%). Only 18.9% of the professionals considered their academic background adequate on this subject.


CONCLUSIONS
Communication between the medical staff and the family members should take place after the death. The more difficult cases require a good relationship between the parties. Training of the professionals on the subject should be improved since it directly affects how family and relatives are dealt with.
Starzewski Júnior
Alberto
A
Departmaneto de Medicina Social da Faculdade de Ciêcias Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paolo e na Universidade Federal de São Paolo--UNIFESP, São Paolo. albertosjunior@yahoo.com.br
Rolim
Luiz Clemente
LC
Morrone
Luiz Carlos
LC
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011368:Professional-Family Relations