The nature and benefits of team-based reflection on a patient death by healthcare professionals: A scoping review

This scoping literature review was completed to understand the nature and benefits of team-based reflection on a patient death by healthcare professionals. The review was limited to publications in English between 2006 and 2016 that were identified in the Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE and Web of Science databases. We identified 1450 articles and 19 studies were relevant for inclusion in this review. The published literature is mainly descriptive with no comparative studies. The process of team-based reflection on a patient death by healthcare professionals, using a variety of techniques, can lead to improved emotional well-being and learning for quality improvement. However, there is little evidence for the impact on the care of the family and for future patient care. The need for a structured process for the reflection, with facilitation in a supportive healthcare context, appears to be essential for effective team-based reflection. Further research needs to be performed to ensure that team-based reflection on a patient death by healthcare professionals, meets the needs of practitioners and enhances their emotional well-being, supports learning from practice and leads to improved patient outcomes.