The importance of an early approach to palliative care in chronic non-oncological diseases

Abstract

Due to the increase in patients with chronic non-oncological diseases, an early approach to palliative care (PC) for these patients is fundamental to improving the quality of life of patients and their families. In addition, PC strategies allow for more efficient management of physical symptoms, such as pain and fatigue, and emotional, psychological and spiritual support in the face of the impact of the disease. This article aims to discuss the importance of an early approach to palliative care in chronic non-oncological diseases. The study was carried out through a search of the Medline/PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (Lilacs) and Cochrane Library databases. The research question and strategy used were based on the PICO protocol. Clinical trial studies, meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials, full articles and books published in English, Spanish and Portuguese in the last 5 years were included. A total of 298 articles were initially found. After analysis and elimination of duplicates, 149 references were analyzed by title and abstract, of which 83 were included for full reading. After this stage, 67 references were excluded. In the end, 16 studies were considered eligible. The available evidence shows that starting PC from the earliest stages helps to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, as well as improving adherence to treatment and offering comprehensive support at all stages of the disease.