Peace with spiritual beliefs is essential for good death

By Mugisha Noleb, Makabayi Rita Kampala

A good death means being at peace with one's spiritual beliefs, being free from unpleasant symptoms, and having access to palliative care services, says research by medical students at Makere University, Uganda.

A questionnaire study looked at what 63 students considered to be the three most important characteristics of a good death and was distributed before students took a course in palliative medicine.

The results show that 83% of students see freedom from unpleasant symptoms as being one of the three most important priorities for a good death. Furthermore, 81% say that being at peace with their spiritual beliefs was another, and 41% of students believed the provision of palliative care services to be the third most important priority. Something to consider when reading articles in Life Section.