Act of Consoling Helps Those Who Console: A Multicenter Observational Survey Study in Hospice Services.

Abstract

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The contemporary scientific literature documents a lack of attention toward the act of consoling put into practice by health care professionals (HCPs) in hospice services. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To describe the act of consoling and its meaning for hospice-employed HCPs. <b><i>Design:</i></b> A multicenter observational survey study was performed through a paper-based questionnaire. <b><i>Subjects:</i></b> The study was sent to the directors of 10 hospices in Northern Italy and distributed to 232 HCPs. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A total of 218 HCPs responded (94%). The results showed that most HCPs consider the practice of consoling to be essential to their profession, but they also underscored the extreme complexity of the process. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The act of consoling is not simply a professional duty defined in contractual clauses. Rather, it is a set of specific communicative practices and skills required of HCPs.