Including digital legacy in planning for the end-of-life
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A constructivist grounded theory to explore professionals, patients receiving palliative care, caregivers and bereaved people’s experience of including digital legacy in planning for the end-of-life.
IRAS ID
339907
Contact name
Karen Higginbotham
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool John Moores University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The term ‘digital legacy’ describes digital belongings that are left behind after someone dies. We are seeing technology being used more in society. For example, there is an increasing use of mobile phones to take photographs and videos which are often seen as making memories. Another example might be the increasing use of social media platforms in which we communicate and share life events with friends. However, a large percentage of the population, including healthcare professionals, have little understanding of digital legacy (Stanley et al., 2023). We know the use of technology in our day to day lives is increasing, therefore it is important that we start to consider the best way to manage these ‘digital belongings’, and to think what value might be placed on them after a person has died (Clabburn et al., 2019).
In this study we want to gain an in depth understanding from the participant’s perspective the importance of digital legacy. We want to interview people receiving palliative care, caregivers, healthcare professionals and bereaved people in order to understand their lived experiences of digital legacy and how this may be used at the end of someone’s life. The aim is that the findings of this study will inform our understanding of digital legacy and subsequently how it can be used to improve a person’s quality of life when planning for their end of life.REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
24/IEC08/0020
Date of REC Opinion
31 Jul 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion