Cultivating death literacy and compassionate communities via ‘The Omega course’: A mixed methods exploration
- 1Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry, UK
- 2The Omega Course Kenilworth, Warwickshire, UK
Abstract
Background: The public health approach to palliative care argues developing death literacy and compassionate communities are key in meeting the increasing demand for palliative care. One potential means of building such skills is The Omega Course, a group educational intervention for healthy community members run across five sessions.
Objectives: To explore the impact of The Omega Course on participant death literacy, and to explore whether the course promotes compassionate community development. A retrospective pre–post observational study design with quantitative analysis and embedded complementary qualitative analysis was used.
Methods: Mixed-methods secondary analysis of 179 pre- and post-course questionnaires consisting of Likert scales and open-text responses collected between 2016 and 2024. Responses were analysed using statistical and conventional content analysis. Quantitative and qualitative integration was supported by a Stakeholder Engagement Meeting.
Results: Paired t-tests (n=150) revealed statistically significant increases in comfort and preparedness for dying post-course across all six questions (all ps<0.001), suggesting the course successfully cultivates comfort and preparedness for death, as a proxy for death literacy. Content analysis identified that social contact (e.g. meeting other participants) and communication skill-building (e.g. roleplaying) were perceived as the best, yet simultaneously most challenging, aspects of the course.
Discussion: Integration of findings suggests the shared challenge of social experiences may be what makes the course so successful in building death literacy and this can contribute to developing compassionate communities. The study was limited by participant homogeneity (predominantly older, female, and affluent). Structured educational interventions with a social element, such as The Omega Course, represent a potential step towards community preparedness for dying.
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BibTeX
@article{laws2026cultivating,
title = {{Cultivating death literacy and compassionate communities via ‘The Omega course’: A mixed methods exploration}},
author = {Suzannah Laws and Chantal Meystre and John MacArtney},
journal = {Palliative Care and Social Practice},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1177/26323524261481869},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/26323524261481869},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Cultivating death literacy and compassionate communities via ‘The Omega course’: A mixed methods exploration
AU - Suzannah Laws
AU - Chantal Meystre
AU - John MacArtney
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
JO - Palliative Care and Social Practice
DO - 10.1177/26323524261481869
UR - https://doi.org/10.1177/26323524261481869
AB - Background: The public health approach to palliative care argues developing death literacy and compassionate communities are key in meeting the increasing demand for palliative care. One potential means of building such skills is The Omega Course, a group educational intervention for healthy community members run across five sessions. Objectives: To explore the impact of The Omega Course on participant death literacy, and to explore whether the course promotes compassionate community development. A retrospective pre–post observational study design with quantitative analysis and embedded complementary qualitative analysis was used. Methods: Mixed-methods secondary analysis of 179 pre- and post-course questionnaires consisting of Likert scales and open-text responses collected between 2016 and 2024. Responses were analysed using statistical and conventional content analysis. Quantitative and qualitative integration was supported by a Stakeholder Engagement Meeting. Results: Paired t-tests (n=150) revealed statistically significant increases in comfort and preparedness for dying post-course across all six questions (all ps<0.001), suggesting the course successfully cultivates comfort and preparedness for death, as a proxy for death literacy. Content analysis identified that social contact (e.g. meeting other participants) and communication skill-building (e.g. roleplaying) were perceived as the best, yet simultaneously most challenging, aspects of the course. Discussion: Integration of findings suggests the shared challenge of social experiences may be what makes the course so successful in building death literacy and this can contribute to developing compassionate communities. The study was limited by participant homogeneity (predominantly older, female, and affluent). Structured educational interventions with a social element, such as The Omega Course, represent a potential step towards community preparedness for dying.
SN - 2632-3524
ER -