Confirming And Notifying Death

Most physicians are confronted with the death of patients during their practice, often as early as residency. It is their legal responsibility to certify a patient's death, as well as often to notify their loved ones. Yet, these duties currently receive little or no specific training during the various cycles of medical education. This task is not easy, however, and young professionals experience it with difficulty. Literature data show that residents are confronted with death late in their medical education and that they are insufficiently prepared when they have to perform their first death certificate. Indeed, residents report significantly correlated practical and emotional difficulties. These difficulties are notably linked to a feeling of lack of preparation through theoretical courses, a lack of familiarity with administrative procedures, and insufficient mastery of communicatin