Beyond Last Words
Patterns of Linguistic and Interactional Behavior in a Historical Sample of Dying Hospital Patients
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13628175 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Erard (0000-0002-7721-781X, Maastricht University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 86 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 1089-1107 |
| Publication date | 2021-03-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00302228211000938 |
| PMID | 33722079 |
| OpenAlex | W3138987779 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 28 |
Patterns of linguistic and interactional behavior by people at the very end of their lives are not well described, partly because data is difficult to obtain. This paper analyzes descriptions of 486 deaths gathered from 1900 to 1904 in the first-ever clinical study of dying by noted Canadian physician, Sir William Osler. Only 16 patients were noted speaking, and only four canonical last words were reported. The most frequent observation by medical staff was that the deaths were quiet ( n = 30), though range of other behaviors were noted (e.g., moaning, delirium, seeming intention to speak). Osler's problematic study left behind data whose analysis is a small step toward empirically characterizing the linguistic and interactional details of a previously under-described phenomena as well as the importance of the social context in which they occur
Linguistics · Sample (material · History · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare · Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare · Philosophy · Psychology
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,2 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2021 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |