Impacto de equipa comunitária de suporte cuidados paliativos nos doentes com síndrome de fragilidade

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Due to the increase of medium life expectancy, more reports about ageing arise, yet reports on the impact on the elderly and/or with frailty syndrome connected to Palliative Care (PC) are still scarce. Considering that PC have a big influence on the patients' lives, due to its philosophy and care for the patient itself, and even bearing in mind that the growing prevalence of the frailty syndrome, it is important to study the impact a team, dedicated to domiciliary PC, has on the quality of life of patients with frailty syndrome. The high consumption of health care services by patients with frailty syndrome is of great importance, namely in multiple admissions, with the consequent growing of comorbidities linked to the health care services, as well as the removal from the usual social circle. On the other hand, it is known the connotation PC has around cancer patients, the hardship of diagnostic and life ending path has hardened referencing it to people. OBJECTIVE: Evaluating the impact a Palliative Care Supportive Community Team has on the quality of life of patients with frailty syndrome; METHOD: Developing an analytical prospective observing study, within a Palliative Care Supportive Community Team. Patients, with frailty syndrome, within the levels 3 and 8 of the Clinical Frailty Scale and who are classified with 20% to 70% according to the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS), shall be included in the study. The quality of life will be the main focus of the investigation, measured through the application of the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) and a description form on the patient. LIMITATIONS: The study results cannot be generalized. Data and information shall be collected only at a community team, without existing the group control, which will prevent the presumption of “cause and effect”. The collection of such data and information will also be performed by the team responsible for caring for the patient. MAIN GOAL AND EXPECTED IMPLICATIONS: It is intended to promote the interest on the investigation on this subject and shine a light on the need for the intervention of PC, mainly on the control of the symptoms and the implementation of an advanced care plan, just as much as to understand the impact the Palliative Care Supportive Community Team have on the quality of life of patients with frailty syndrome.

Date of Award	5 Apr 2022
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Manuel Luís Capelas (Supervisor) & António Folgado (Co-Supervisor)