Table 3.

Themes and subthemes

Themes	Sub-themes
Medicalisation of death	The western clinical gaze and professional skills opened and closed possibilities The good death was painless and symptom-free Shared decision-making did seldom involve patients
Communication about death - a clash between two philosophies	A tension between openness and silence about death Education efforts in teaching openness about death
Dying and death were socially dependent	Death preparation as instrumental for the ‘good death’ and afterlife Family had significance for a good death and afterlife Economy at stake for the place of dying