Joachim Cohen
Biographic Data
| ID | 3603990 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Joachim Cohen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Joachim |
| FAMILY NAME | Cohen |
| SIGNATURE | COHEN J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Vrije Universiteit Brussel |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7224-9476 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 47 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 76 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 47 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Role and meaning of physical places of solace for serious illness, death and grief
Background Civic engagement with serious illness, death, and grief is increasingly being encouraged as a means to increase communities’ death literacy and capacity for support. As part of this movement, third places dedicated to solace for those confronted with serious illness, death and grief are increasingly created. However, how these places are actually used, and their role and meaning for communities remains largely unknown. Aim This study e…
Measurement invariance of the Death Literacy Index across Flemish Belgium, The Netherlands, and Sweden
Death literacy is a construct conceptualizing experience-based knowledge and skills for end-of-life care, which is operationalized as a six-factor model in the 29-item Death Literacy Index (DLI). The DLI has gained international interest, but its validity across countries is yet unknown. This cross-sectional study therefore assessed its measurement invariance (psychometric equivalence), across Flemish Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Transla…
Citizens with a caregiving experience in the past year are more likely to participate in neighbourhood activities regarding serious illness, death or loss
While death literacy is believed to foster social connections around serious illness, death and loss, limited evidence exists on whether it stimulates neighbourhood participation concerning these topics. This study measured the association between personal experiences with serious illness, death or loss in the past year and neighbourhood participation around these topics, and whether citizens' self-perceived capacity, skills and self-efficacy dev…
Developing a compassionate university
Compassionate communities are gaining momentum as a new public health approach emphasizing community support during times of serious illness, death, and bereavement. However, evidence on their development, particularly in higher education, is limited. This study investigates the development of a Compassionate University, examining the underlying processes and contextual factors shaping its development. A longitudinal process evaluation was conduc…
Patterns of shared meaning across personal narratives surrounding experiences with palliative care, serious illness, and the end of life
Public Awareness Campaigns on Palliative Care
Public awareness campaigns on palliative care aim to tackle limited public knowledge and negative perceptions of palliative care. However, little is known about their public reception. This study examined how existing campaigns are interpreted, evaluated, and engaged with by members of the general public. Three public campaigns, launched in Flanders or the Netherlands between 2020 and 2023, were discussed in 10 focus groups (total of 65 participa…
Characteristics and outcomes of peer consultations for assisted dying request assessments
Background: In most jurisdictions where assisted dying practices are legal, attending physicians must consult another practitioner to assess the patient's eligibility. Consequently, in some jurisdictions, they can rely on the expertise of trained assisted dying consultants (trained consultants). However, these peer consultations remain under-researched. We examined the characteristics and outcomes of peer consultations to assess an assisted dying…
A Mixed-Method Study on the Palliative Care Capacity of Social Workers in Flanders (Belgium)
This study explores the palliative care capacity of social workers in Flanders. First, it examines the frequency with which social workers in Flanders are currently performing palliative care tasks. Second, this study assesses their attitudes and competencies regarding the performance of these tasks. Third, as contextual factors also influence this performance, this study explores the level of appreciation experienced by social workers in Flander…
Neighbourhood civic engagement around serious illness, death, and loss
Introduction/background: Worldwide, civic engagement initiatives concerning serious illness, caregiving, and bereavement are gaining momentum, as a result of the increasing interest in communities addressing challenges around these topics. In Flanders too, a diverse range of civic engagement initiatives are being developed, among which two research-initiated neighbourhood initiatives in municipalities in Herzele and Sint-Kruis (Flanders, Belgium)…
Researching two Compassionate Cities
Background/Targeted community: Compassionate Cities are social ecology approaches that apply a set of actions, targeting a broad range of stakeholders, with the intention of renormalising caring, dying and grieving in everyday life. While several initiatives have been described in the literature, a rigorous evaluation of their processes and outcomes is lacking. This paper describes the protocol for a mixed-methods study to evaluate the developmen…
How compassionate is your neighborhood? Results of a cross-sectional survey on neighborhood participation regarding serious illness, death, and loss
We conducted a cross-sectional survey measuring the extent and nature of neighborhood participation regarding serious illness, death and loss and the factors that are associated with it. We distributed the survey to 2324 adult citizens in two neighborhoods in Flanders, Belgium, to which 714 citizens responded (response rate 30.7%). Of the respondents, 42.4% participated in at least one action in their neighborhood around serious illness, death, o…
A compassionate university for serious illness, death, and bereavement
Serious illness, death, and bereavement are common experiences within the work and study context. This study aims to explore the experiences and support needs of university students and staff confronted with serious illness, death, and bereavement. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 21 students and 26 staff. A thematic analysis resulted in three overarching themes: the university as a high-pressure environment; naviga…
Place of death and associated factors in 12 Latin American countries
Background: Little is known about place of death in Latin America, although this data are crucial for health system planning. This study aims to describe place of death and associated factors in Latin America and to identify factors that contribute to inter-country differences in place of death. Methods: We conducted a total population observational study using death certificates of the total annual decedent populations in 12 countries (Argentina…
Physicians’ Experiences and Perceptions of Environmental Factors Affecting Their Practices of Continuous Deep Sedation until Death
As previous research has paid little attention to environmental factors affecting the practice of continuous deep sedation until death (CDS), we aimed to explore these using physicians' experiences and perceptions. We performed an interpretative thematic analysis of primary data from a qualitative interview study conducted from February to May 2019 in Belgium with 47 physicians. Structural factors were identified: the lack of professional and/or …
Continuums of Change in a Competence-Building Initiative Addressing End-of-Life Communication in Swedish Elder Care
Conversations about values for the end-of-life (EoL) between residents, relatives, and staff may allow EoL preparation and enable value-concordant care, but remain rare in residential care home (RCH) practice. In this article, longitudinal qualitative analysis was used to explore changes in staff discussions about EoL conversations throughout workshop series based on reflection and knowledge exchange to promote EoL communication in RCHs. We ident…
The Online Representation of Palliative Care by Practice, Policy, and Advocacy Organizations
Negative beliefs and a lack of clarity surrounding the meaning of palliative care have been widely reported as obstacles to its uptake. Information available to the public possibly contributes to this. A descriptive and discourse-theoretical analysis was conducted of information spread online by palliative care policy, advocacy, and practice organizations. Discrepancies were found in the way palliative care was defined in relation to curative, en…
Pilot Study to Develop and Test Palliative Care Quality Indicators for Nursing Homes
An increasingly frail population in nursing homes accentuates the need for high quality care at the end of life and better access to palliative care in this context. Implementation of palliative care and its outcomes can be monitored by using quality indicators. Therefore, we developed a quality indicator set for palliative care in nursing homes and a tailored measurement procedure while using a mixed-methods design. We developed the instrument i…
Feasibility of using death certificates for studying place of death in Latin America
Objective. This paper assesses the availability and quality of death certificate data in Latin America and the feasibility of using these data to study place of death and associated factors. Methods. In this comparative study, we collected examples of current official death certificates and digital data files containing information about all deaths that occurred during 1 year in 19 Latin American countries. Data were collected from June 2019 to M…
Control Measures for Continuous Deep Sedation Until Death
Physicians have been subject to increasing external control to improve their medical practice, and scholars have theorized extensively about their opposition to such control. However, little empirical attention has been paid to the views and reasoning that lie behind this opposition. An in-depth understanding is necessary for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of external controls, and continuous deep sedation until death (CDS) is an inte…
Trends in place of death in a small developing country
Background Valuable information for planning future end-of-life care (EOLC) services and care facilities can be gained by studying trends in place of death (POD). Scarce data exist on the POD in small developing countries. This study aims to examine shifts in the POD of all persons dying between 1999 and 2010 in Trinidad and Tobago, to draw conclusions about changes in the distribution of POD over time and the possible implications for EOLC pract…
Integrated Palliative Care for Nursing Home Residents
The perspectives of the coordinators on inter-organisational collaboration are a valuable starting point for interventions directed at the stronger integration of palliative care for residents of long term-care facilities
The involvement of volunteers in palliative care and their collaboration with healthcare professionals
Volunteers occupy a specific space in the delivery of palliative care (PC), addressing specific aspects of care and providing a link between professional healthcare providers and informal care. Engaging and empowering these volunteers can be an important strategy to deliver more integrated and comprehensive PC. Insights into current actual volunteer involvement and collaboration across different healthcare services providing generalist and specia…
Educational needs of healthcare professionals and members of the general public in Alberta Canada, 2 years after the implementation of medical assistance in dying
Medical assistance in dying (MAID) was implemented across Canada in June of 2016, after each Canadian province and territory had developed their own MAID processes. Over the first 2 years, just under 300 Alberta citizens received MAID services, a very small proportion (<0.5%) of all 52,000 decedents. An online 2017-2018 survey of Alberta healthcare providers and members of the general public was conducted to assess and compare their knowledge of …
Main themes, barriers, and solutions to palliative and end-of-life care in the English-speaking Caribbean
OBJECTIVES: To identify common themes documented in the literature on palliative and end-of-life care in English-speaking Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS), and to describe barriers, improvement strategies, and suggested ways forward. METHODS: In 2015, we conducted a systematic scoping review of relevant literature identified through the MEDLINE and Web of Science databases. We supplemented that with searches of other electronic and…
Volunteer involvement in the organisation of palliative care
Ageing populations increasingly face chronic and terminal illnesses, emphasising the importance of palliative care and quality of life for terminally ill people. Facing resource constraints in professional healthcare, some governments expect informal caregivers like volunteers to assume a greater share of care provision. We know volunteers are present in palliative care and perform many roles, ranging from administration to providing companionshi…
European public acceptance of euthanasia
Place of death in the population dying from diseases indicative of palliative care need
BACKGROUND: Studying where people die across countries can serve as an evidence base for health policy on end-of-life care. This study describes the place of death of people who died from diseases indicative of palliative care need in 14 countries, the association of place of death with cause of death, sociodemographic and healthcare availability characteristics in each country and the extent to which these characteristics explain country differe…
Cultural differences affecting euthanasia practice in Belgium
A compassionate university for serious illness, death, and bereavement
Serious illness, death, and bereavement are common experiences within the work and study context. This study aims to explore the experiences and support needs of university students and staff confronted with serious illness, death, and bereavement. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 21 students and 26 staff. A thematic analysis resulted in three overarching themes: the university as a high-pressure environment; naviga…
The acute hospital setting as a place of death and final care
Descriptions of euthanasia as social representations
In many western societies health professionals play a powerful role in people's experiences of dying. Religious professionals, such as pastors, are also confronted with the issues surrounding death and dying in their work. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the ways in which death-related topics, such as euthanasia, are constructed in a given culture are affected by the views of these professionals. This qualitative study addresses the way…
Media Coverage of Medical Decision Making at the End of Life
This article presents a content analysis of Belgian media coverage of end-of-life decision making. The authors examine a selection of press articles and the differences among media genres in covering the issue. In general terms, they found an overreporting of euthanasia; a focus on dying processes resulting from cancer and Alzheimer's disease; and an attention to political discussions and political voices, which outnumber patient voices. In genre…
Place of death in metropolitan regions
Patterns of shared meaning across personal narratives surrounding experiences with palliative care, serious illness, and the end of life
Integrated Palliative Care for Nursing Home Residents
The perspectives of the coordinators on inter-organisational collaboration are a valuable starting point for interventions directed at the stronger integration of palliative care for residents of long term-care facilities
Volunteer involvement in the organisation of palliative care
Ageing populations increasingly face chronic and terminal illnesses, emphasising the importance of palliative care and quality of life for terminally ill people. Facing resource constraints in professional healthcare, some governments expect informal caregivers like volunteers to assume a greater share of care provision. We know volunteers are present in palliative care and perform many roles, ranging from administration to providing companionshi…
What influences intentions to request physician-assisted euthanasia or continuous deep sedation
The increasing prevalence of euthanasia in Belgium has been linked to changing attitudes. Using National health survey data (N = 9651), we investigated Belgian adults' intention to ask a physician for euthanasia or continuous deep sedation in the hypothetical scenario of a terminal illness and examined its connection to sociodemographic and health characteristics. Respectively, 38.3 and 25.8% could envisage asking for euthanasia and continuous de…
The public’s viewpoint on the right to hastened death in Alberta, Canada
A research study was conducted to determine public opinion in Alberta, a Canadian province, on the controversial topic of death hastening. Questions on the right to hastened death, end-of-life plans and end-of-life experiences were included in the Population Research Laboratory's annual 2010 health-care telephone survey, with 1203 adults providing results relatively representative of Albertans. Of all 1203, 72.6% said yes to the question: 'Should…
Influence of the metropolitan environment on end-of-life decisions
End-of-life decision-making in Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland
OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in end-of-life decision-making in patients dying at home, in a hospital or in a care home. DESIGN: A death certificate study: certifying physicians from representative samples of death certificates, taken between June 2001 and February 2002, were sent questionnaires on the end-of-life decision-making preceding the patient's death. SETTING: Four European countries: Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerl…
European public acceptance of euthanasia
Using death certificate data to study place of death in 9 European countries
Death certificate data provide information on place of death and on possibly associated factors and confounders in all studied countries. Hence, death certificate data provide a unique opportunity for cross-national studying and monitoring of place of death. However, modifications of certain aspects of death certificate registration and rules of data-protection are perhaps required to make international monitoring of place of death more feasible …
End-of-life decision-making in Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland
OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in end-of-life decision-making in patients dying at home, in a hospital or in a care home. DESIGN: A death certificate study: certifying physicians from representative samples of death certificates, taken between June 2001 and February 2002, were sent questionnaires on the end-of-life decision-making preceding the patient's death. SETTING: Four European countries: Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerl…
A post-mortem survey on end-of-life decisions using a representative sample of death certificates in Flanders, Belgium
The protocol of the 2007 ELD Study in Flanders, Belgium, is appropriate for achieving the objectives of the study; as past studies in Belgium, the Netherlands, and other European countries have shown, strictly anonymous and thorough surveys among physicians using a large, stratified, and representative death certificate sample are most suitable in nationwide studies of incidence and characteristics of end-of-life decisions. There are however also…
Place of death in metropolitan regions
Influence of the metropolitan environment on end-of-life decisions
Legal Euthanasia in Belgium
OBJECTIVES: To study the reported medical practice of euthanasia in Belgium since implementation of the euthanasia law. RESEARCH DESIGN: Analysis of the anonymous database of all euthanasia cases reported to the Federal Control and Evaluation Committee Euthanasia. SUBJECTS: All euthanasia cases reported by physicians for review between implementation of the euthanasia law on September 22nd, 2002 and December 31, 2007 (n = 1917). MEASURES: Frequen…
Study of recent and future trends in place of death in Belgium using death certificate data
Additional end-of-life care resources in care homes largely explain the decrease in hospital deaths. Care homes will become the main locus of end-of-life care in the future. Governments should provide sufficient skilled nursing resources in care homes to fulfil the end-of-life care preferences and needs of patients
The public’s viewpoint on the right to hastened death in Alberta, Canada
A research study was conducted to determine public opinion in Alberta, a Canadian province, on the controversial topic of death hastening. Questions on the right to hastened death, end-of-life plans and end-of-life experiences were included in the Population Research Laboratory's annual 2010 health-care telephone survey, with 1203 adults providing results relatively representative of Albertans. Of all 1203, 72.6% said yes to the question: 'Should…
Cultural differences affecting euthanasia practice in Belgium
Is educational attainment related to end-of-life decision-making? A large post-mortem survey in Belgium
There are some important differences and possible inequities between educational groups in end-of-life decision-making in Belgium. Future research should investigate whether the found differences reflect differences in knowledge of and adherence to patient preferences, and indicate a discrepancy in quality of the end of life
Media Coverage of Medical Decision Making at the End of Life
This article presents a content analysis of Belgian media coverage of end-of-life decision making. The authors examine a selection of press articles and the differences among media genres in covering the issue. In general terms, they found an overreporting of euthanasia; a focus on dying processes resulting from cancer and Alzheimer's disease; and an attention to political discussions and political voices, which outnumber patient voices. In genre…
A comparative analysis of comprehensive geriatric assessments for nursing home residents receiving palliative care
Palliative care in nursing homes
Background/objectives: Nursing homes are important palliative care settings for frail older persons. By means of comprehensive geriatric assessments (CGAs), an appraisal can be made of the different palliative care needs of nursing home residents. The interRAI Palliative Care (interRAI PC) instrument is a CGA which assesses the diverse needs of older adults requiring palliative care in all healthcare settings. Examples of results are Client Asses…
Does the use of the interRAI Palliative Care instrument improve the quality of palliative care in nursing homes
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)The IJIC 20th Anniversary Issue was published in 2021
The acute hospital setting as a place of death and final care
Attitudes of Belgian Students of Medicine, Philosophy, and Law Toward Euthanasia and the Conditions for Its Acceptance
Euthanasia is legal in Belgium if due care criteria are met, which is judged by committees including physicians, ethicists, and jurists. We examined whether students in these disciplines differ in how they judge euthanasia as an acceptable act. A cross-sectional, anonymous e-mail survey revealed that they have similar attitudes and accept its legalization. Therefore, joint decision-making of physicians, ethicists, and lawyers regarding euthanasia…
Descriptions of euthanasia as social representations
In many western societies health professionals play a powerful role in people's experiences of dying. Religious professionals, such as pastors, are also confronted with the issues surrounding death and dying in their work. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the ways in which death-related topics, such as euthanasia, are constructed in a given culture are affected by the views of these professionals. This qualitative study addresses the way…
Attitudes and Practices of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe
IMPORTANCE: The increasing legalization of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide worldwide makes it important to understand related attitudes and practices. OBJECTIVE: To review the legal status of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and the available data on attitudes and practices. EVIDENCE REVIEW: Polling data and published surveys of the public and physicians, official state and country databases, interview studies with physicians, …
Place of death in the population dying from diseases indicative of palliative care need
BACKGROUND: Studying where people die across countries can serve as an evidence base for health policy on end-of-life care. This study describes the place of death of people who died from diseases indicative of palliative care need in 14 countries, the association of place of death with cause of death, sociodemographic and healthcare availability characteristics in each country and the extent to which these characteristics explain country differe…
What influences intentions to request physician-assisted euthanasia or continuous deep sedation
The increasing prevalence of euthanasia in Belgium has been linked to changing attitudes. Using National health survey data (N = 9651), we investigated Belgian adults' intention to ask a physician for euthanasia or continuous deep sedation in the hypothetical scenario of a terminal illness and examined its connection to sociodemographic and health characteristics. Respectively, 38.3 and 25.8% could envisage asking for euthanasia and continuous de…
Bereavement grief
Information is needed on the incidence and prevalence of bereavement grief, and factors associated with severe or prolonged grief. Among 1,208 representative Canadian adults, 96% had experienced bereavement grief and 78% were actively grieving at interview. Grief levels were higher among women, Protestants, and Catholics, when the death was under 2 years previously, when a spouse, parent, or child had died, and when the perceived death quality wa…
Main themes, barriers, and solutions to palliative and end-of-life care in the English-speaking Caribbean
OBJECTIVES: To identify common themes documented in the literature on palliative and end-of-life care in English-speaking Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS), and to describe barriers, improvement strategies, and suggested ways forward. METHODS: In 2015, we conducted a systematic scoping review of relevant literature identified through the MEDLINE and Web of Science databases. We supplemented that with searches of other electronic and…
Volunteer involvement in the organisation of palliative care
Ageing populations increasingly face chronic and terminal illnesses, emphasising the importance of palliative care and quality of life for terminally ill people. Facing resource constraints in professional healthcare, some governments expect informal caregivers like volunteers to assume a greater share of care provision. We know volunteers are present in palliative care and perform many roles, ranging from administration to providing companionshi…
Integrated Palliative Care for Nursing Home Residents
The perspectives of the coordinators on inter-organisational collaboration are a valuable starting point for interventions directed at the stronger integration of palliative care for residents of long term-care facilities
Medicine (40 works) · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues (38 works) · Nursing (27 works) · Psychology (27 works) · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health (25 works) · Palliative care (22 works) · Sociology (21 works) · Political science (18 works) · Demography (13 works) · Patient Dignity and Privacy (13 works)