Effectiveness in reducing cancer suffering through the continuos palliative care model
Keywords:
Bioethics; Continuity of Patient Care; Integrative Palliative Care; Palliative Medicine; Psychological Distress; Medicina PaliativaAbstract
Introduction: deducing suffering is the essence of Palliative Medicine. Primary Health Care is the setting for multiple care strategies for people suffering from cancer; the continuous palliative care model allows real-time evaluation of effectiveness and adjustment of intersectoral and interdisciplinary actions.
Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of the continuous palliative care model in reducing multidimensional suffering caused by cancer.
Methodology: mixed-method technological development research, with a care intervention in which the continuous palliative care model was implemented in a sample of 38 users. The study was conducted with scientific rigor to ensure validity; three instruments and the suffering reduction evaluation index were applied. Ethical requirements were met.
Results: the complexity of cancer-related suffering generated a strategy that grouped identification of suffering, intervention, immediate evaluation, and delayed evaluation. Easy crying was the most frequent sign. Anxiety and depression were constant symptoms across the five care codes. Continuous palliative care focused on three pillars for multidimensional assistance, with the spiritual sphere providing the greatest opportunities for strength development. Overall, it demonstrated high effectiveness in reducing suffering.
Conclusions: continuous palliative care model is effective in assisting cancer patients, from the moment of clinical suspicion until the end of life. Due to its high effectiveness, it is applicable to both rural and urban settings.
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