Cuidados paliativos necessidades da Região Autónoma da Madeira

  • Graciela Patrícia Andrade Camacho (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

Introduction: Palliative care is now considered an ethical imperative. Its organization, implementation and adequate provision, involves an assessment of the needs of patients and their families. This study aimed to assess the needs for palliative care of people who died in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM) in 2010. Methods: The target population studied consisted of all deceased persons in ARM in 2010 (N = 2642). The data on the number of hospital process, gender, age and county of residence, were provided by core statistic of Health Service of ARM. Stratified sample of 347 deceased persons, distributed among 11 municipalities of ARM, was obtained. The variables in study were gender, age, county of residence, death by disease with indication for Palliative Care, the case of admission to the emergency department and hospitalization in the last 12 months of life, and place of death. Computer programs Microsoft Office Excel and SPSS version 20.0 were used for processing and data analysis. Results: Presented indication for Palliative Care 41.2 % of deaths, 55.8% were female, with an average age of 72.7 ± 15.4 years. The Funchal represented the largest number of cases indicated for palliative care (37.0 %), neoplasms were the most frequent causes of death (61.6 %), admissions to the emergency department in the last 12 months of life ranged from 5.3 ± 4.3 and hospitalizations ranged between 2.2 ± 1.9, the more frequent site of death was in hospitalization (76.1 %). Conclusions: Attempted to demonstrate the real need of a Regional Palliative Care Program, with the aim of reducing the number of patients admitted to hospitals in ARM with unmet Palliative Care needs and increase the number of deaths at home with quality.
Date of Award12 Jun 2015
Original languagePortuguese
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorAlexandre Castro Caldas (Supervisor) & Manuel Luís Capelas (Co-Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Palliative care
  • Needs assessment
  • Mortality

Designation

  • Mestrado em Cuidados Paliativos

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