Las cartas de condolencia: marco conceptual y protocolo

Letters of condolence, are more like a therapeutic tool than an expression of nearness, if they are within an appropiate conceptual framework. The aims of the present work is to find out the state of the art heart of the matter in the literature, and to analyse the benefits of this tool based on the grief model by James Worden and the need to prevent complicated grief. In addition to this theoretical basis, professionals need keys and guidelines to organize and write these kinds of letters. For this reason a protocol is presented that may be useful and practical for this purpose. It has been prepared after reviewing literature and years of clinical experience in grief therapy in the Haematology and Nephrology Departments of Hospital Universitario La Paz. It concludes that the professionals who are a relevant part of the illness process, also have the opportunity of being part of the grief process.