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Article History

Received: 10 October 2024

Accepted: 27 April 2026

First Online: 30 April 2026

Declarations

:

: This study has been approved by the Swedish Ethics Review Authority (Dnr: 2021-03364, and 2021-06073-02), and all procedures followed the journal’s ethical guidelines. Administrative head managers of the participating ICUs approved the study. The first author has access to a document containing the email addresses of family members who received a questionnaire. The questionnaires were answered anonymously, thus preventing the identification of individuals. Consideration was taken to acknowledge the emotional vulnerability of grieving family members, with heightened sensitivity and respect guiding all interactions. Recruitment was carried out with particular sensitivity to the emotional circumstances of potential participants. Family members were not contacted until at least four months had passed following the patient’s death, in order to respect their grieving process. The participants received oral and written information concerning the study’s aim, confirmation that participation was voluntary, and that they could withdraw their participation at any time without explanation. Returned questionnaires were considered as written informed consent. In conducting the study, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) [ ] has been followed, with the identity of the participants being kept confidential by not reporting data at an individual level. Instead, all reporting is conducted at an aggregate level.

: Informed consent was obtained from family members by returning the questionnaires.

: The authors declare no competing interests.