Social science & medicine
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Social science & medicine · Feb 1994
Are bereaved family members a valid proxy for a patient's assessment of dying?
To compare assessments made retrospectively by bereaved family members (or the nearest carer to the patient) with assessments made before death by palliative staff and, where available, by patients themselves or the family member. ⋯ Retrospective assessments by bereaved family members may be valid for some items related to service provision, but not as the sole assessment of a patient's pain, symptoms or anxiety. We suggest that studies which rely on these retrospective ratings should assess the validity of their responses and record more information about the mood and grief of the family member.