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Previous Volume 344:1162-1164 April 12, 2001 Number 15 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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In response to an article on grief, one of us received the following letter (the names have been changed):

Dear Doctor,

On August 3, my mother, Jean Smith, died. She had been a patient at the Medical Center with Dr. Roberts. Until her death, at 90, she was an active person, involved with her family and the world — driving, going to yoga class. She died suddenly, in her sleep. We are all bereft.

Several weeks after her death, I wrote to Dr. Roberts to tell him that she had died. I told him how very much I appreciated his . . . [Full Text of this Article]

The Letter of Condolence

Suggestions for Writing a Condolence Letter

Conclusions

References

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Borasino, S., Morrison, W., Silberman, J., Nelson, R. M., Feudtner, C. (2008). Physicians' Contact With Families After the Death of Pediatric Patients: A Survey of Pediatric Critical Care Practitioners' Beliefs and Self-Reported Practices. Pediatrics 122: e1174-e1178 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Levetown, M., and the Committee on Bioethics, (2008). Communicating With Children and Families: From Everyday Interactions to Skill in Conveying Distressing Information. Pediatrics 121: e1441-e1460 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lanken, P. N., Terry, P. B., DeLisser, H. M., Fahy, B. F., Hansen-Flaschen, J., Heffner, J. E., Levy, M., Mularski, R. A., Osborne, M. L., Prendergast, T. J., Rocker, G., Sibbald, W. J., Wilfond, B., Yankaskas, J. R., on behalf of the ATS End-of-Life Care Task Force, (2008). An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Policy Statement: Palliative Care for Patients with Respiratory Diseases and Critical Illnesses. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 177: 912-927 [Full Text]  
• Schapira, L. (2008). Communication at the End of Life. J Oncol Pract 4: 54-54 [Full Text]  
• Kane, G. C. (2007). A Dying Art?: The Doctor's Letter of Condolence. Chest 131: 1245-1247 [Full Text]  
• Back, A. L., Arnold, R. M., Tulsky, J. A., Baile, W. F., Fryer-Edwards, K. A. (2005). On Saying Goodbye: Acknowledging the End of the Patient-Physician Relationship with Patients Who Are Near Death. ANN INTERN MED 142: 682-685 [Full Text]  
• Rabow, M. W., Hauser, J. M., Adams, J. (2004). Supporting Family Caregivers at the End of Life: "They Don't Know What They Don't Know". JAMA 291: 483-491 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lerner, A., Berger, R. E., Harrod, C. S., Block, S. L., Hickerson, K. A., Hyla, J. F., Bedell, S. E., Cadenhead, K., Graboys, T. B. (2001). Letters of Condolence. NEJM 345: 374-375 [Full Text]