• Si Qi Yoong, Hongli Sam Goh, and Hui Zhang.
• National University of Singapore, Singapore.
• Palliat Med. 2022 May 1; 36 (5): 795-809.

BackgroundDeath doulas have gained greater attention recently by offering psychosocial, spiritual and other non-clinical support for patients with time-limiting diseases, including their families, with the potential to complement existing end-of-life care services. However, their roles, scope of practice and care impact remain poorly understood.AimTo describe existing knowledge on death doulas regarding their roles, care impact, training and regulation.DesignThis scoping review utilised Levac et al.'s framework and textual narrative synthesis to summarise the findings.Data SourcesPubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ProQuest, Google Scholar were searched for relevant articles from inception to 20 May 2021. Empirical studies, narrative reports, unpublished theses and studies in English were included.ResultsThirteen articles were included. Death doulas take on diverse roles in end-of-life care. Their roles include providing psychosocial, spiritual, practical support, companionship and resource navigation. The positive impacts of engaging a death doula include continuous presence, holistic service and flexible payment regime. The negative aspects include role inconsistencies and confusion among healthcare professionals and the public.ConclusionsDeath doulas can augment existing end-of-life care services by providing holistic and personalised care services at home or hospital settings. Their roles are still evolving and remain mostly unregulated, with little evidence about their impact. There is a need for more rigorous studies to explore healthcare professionals' views about this role and examine the clinical outcomes among dying persons and their families.

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