Querschnittsstudie zum aktuellen Stand der Tätigkeit von „Death-Doulas“ in der Palliativmedizin in Deutschland
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Death Doulas are a professional group that emerged about 25 years ago in the United States and provide support for people at the end of life. The concept is modelled after “Birth Doulas,” who offer non-medical support to mothers before, during, and after childbirth. Although several studies on Death Doulas have been conducted in English-speaking countries, there is still no consistent definition of their scope of practice. One major reason for this is the absence of a governing body that regulates training, certification, and professional standards. While international studies predominantly report positive outcomes regarding the work of Death Doulas as a complementary service in end-of-life care, these investigations refer to healthcare systems that are structured differently from the German one. In Germany, no scientific studies on this topic have been conducted so far, making it difficult to draw reliable conclusions about the current situation.
The aim of this study was therefore to examine the extent to which the work of Death Doulas is known among palliative care professionals in Germany and to what degree such services are already being offered. In addition, the study sought to determine whether this profession is considered a useful addition to existing palliative care structures from the perspective of medical professionals. For this purpose, a questionnaire accompanied by an information sheet on Death Doulas was developed and mailed to all palliative care units, specialized outpatient palliative care teams, and hospices in Germany. With a response rate of 36.5%, the results showed that Death Doulas are currently only little known in Germany and are rarely involved in practical care. A large proportion of the respondents saw no current need for an additional professional group in palliative care or were uncertain, as the roles typically attributed to Death Doulas are already covered by existing professions — particularly by volunteer hospice workers.
However, since Death Doulas may offer additional support through their specific training and professionalism, and since positive outcomes have been demonstrated in other countries, further research in Germany appears to be warranted. Future studies should also include the perspectives of patients, relatives, and Death Doulas themselves. The present study thus provides an initial assessment from the viewpoint of palliative care professionals and may serve as a foundation for further scientific investigations in this field.
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