Confronting Mortality: Using the Death Cafe Model to Improve Physician Comfort with End-of-Life Conversations

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

9-8-2025

Abstract

End-of-life conversations are critical in family medicine, yet many physicians feel unprepared to navigate these discussions effectively. The discomfort surrounding death and dying often leads to avoidance of these essential conversations, which can negatively impact patient care and family support. The Death Café movement, which started with intentional conversations often held over tea and cookies, aims to foster open conversations, reduce discomfort surrounding death, and help participants explore their own end-of-life values and wishes. This workshop addresses a gap in physician training by introducing this model as an innovative, experiential learning tool within a family medicine residency program. Preliminary findings from our program’s implementation suggest that engaging in open, reflective dialogue improves physicians’ comfort and confidence in discussing end-of-life care. Participants will be led through a Death Café experience and learn tools to utilize this approach and explore potential barriers and limitations. Through this interactive experience, attendees will explore how this model can be applied in medical education to improve physician readiness for end-of-life conversations with patients and families.

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Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Conference on Practice and Quality Improvement, September 8-10, 2025, Pittsburgh, PA

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