Perceptions of the parents of deceased children and of healthcare providers about end-of-life communication and breaking bad news at a tertiary care public hospital in India: A qualitative exploratory study.

Majority of the communication by the HCPs during the hospitalisation and end-of-life period were perceived as suboptimal by the parents. The HCPs were emotionally affected and faced end-of-life communication challenges. The study highlights the communication by HCPs and support for parents during the end-of-life communication and breaking bad news. It suggests adoption of context specific communication protocol and materials and training of HCPs in communication to improve the quality of care.