End-of-Life Decision Making Between Doctors and Parents in NICU: The Development and Assessment of a Conversation Analysis Coding Framework

We report the development and assessment of a novel coding framework in the context of research into neonatal end-of-life decision making conversations. Data comprised 27 formal conversations between doctors and parents of critically ill babies, recorded in two neonatal intensive care units. The coding framework was developed from a qualitative analysis of the recordings using the method of conversation analysis (CA). Codes underpinned by our qualitative analysis had in the main moderate to strong agreement (inter-rater reliability) between coders; three codes had lower agreement reflecting the use of euphemisms for death and disability. Coding these interactions confirmed the significance of the doctors’ talk in terms of parental involvement in decision-making, whilst highlighting areas warranting further qualitative analysis. This quantifiable representation provides a novel outcome based on evidence that is internal to the conversation rather than influenced by other factors related to the baby’s care or outcome.