Dr Iris Crespo, a researcher with the WeCare Chair and lecturer in psychology in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at UIC, is leading a clinical trial on the impact of discussing death with people receiving palliative care. The study’s initial findings indicate that giving patients the opportunity to express their thoughts and fears about the end of life does not increase their emotional distress.

The project in question, HABLAR, which is funded by the Carlos III Health Institute, involves comparing an approach in which palliative care professionals initiate conversations about death with standard care, where the topic is only discussed if the patient raises it spontaneously. The study assesses factors such as emotional distress, hopelessness, quality of life and the patient’s relationship with their healthcare professional.

Early findings show that patients who took part in these conversations experienced no greater emotional distress or hopelessness, nor did they rate their relationship with their doctor less favourably than those who received standard care.

“Patients receiving palliative care think about death, whether we ask them about it or not. The data so far suggest that giving them the opportunity to discuss it does not make them feel worse,” explains Dr Crespo.

According to the researcher, avoiding these conversations can leave patients to face their fears and uncertainties alone. “Putting their concerns into words can often help dispel fears, ease suffering and enable patients to face this stage of their illness with greater peace of mind,” she adds.

A study by the WeCare Chair, in cooperation with the Cuides Clinic

The clinical trial is being conducted across six palliative care units in Spain, among them UIC’s Cuides Clinic, and seeks to include 168 people with advanced cancer. The study is expected to end in December 2026.

Dr María Jimeno, a palliative care specialist at the Cuides Clinic, underscores the importance of approaching these conversations with sensitivity and support: “Talking about death does not bring the end any closer; rather, it creates space for patients to express and understand their fears and feel supported.”

The HABLAR project is part of the research programme of UIC’s WeCare Chair: End of Life Care, directed by Cristina Monforte and Joaquim Julià, the aim of which is to generate scientific knowledge to ease the suffering of people with advanced illnesses and improve care for patients and their families.