The aim of the article is to evaluate and understand the feelings and attitudes of Brazilian physicians regarding the implementation of palliative care in pediatric patients.
Between July 2018 and December 2019, 236 questionnaires were sent to physicians on the National Academy of Palliative Care roster. The data collected through the planned questionnaires were analyzed using the IRAMUTEQ programs (Interface de R pour les Analyzes Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires).
From the analysis performed by IRAMUTEQ, a dendrogram containing words with p<0.05 was obtained. Feelings of sadness, anguish, relief, regret and fulfillment were perceived as relevant. Attitudes such as understanding, communication, instructing, treating well, strategy, and multiprofessional conferences were also described. Thus, it was observed that these professionals experience different contradictory feelings and make use of different strategies so that they do not harm the treatment carried out, in addition to maintaining a good relationship with the patient's family.
In the present study, we demonstrate that there are intrinsic characteristics of pediatric palliative care that are a source of mixed feelings for medical professionals. In this context, challenges still exist and it is essential to conduct new studies that address this issue. Paying attention to these feelings promotes better management of palliative care in pediatrics.
Keywords:
attitudes, palliative care, feelings, pediatrics, health care quality
Rocha, A. de A. ., Gusmão Meirelles, B. ., Costa Lage de Assis, L. ., & Nunes, R. M. L. . (2024). Brazilian physicians’ attitudes and feelings towards palliative care in pediatrics. Acta Bioethica, 30(2), 311–318. Retrieved from https://analesfcfm.uchile.cl/index.php/AB/article/view/76165
