Comunicação em cuidados paliativos na unidade de terapia intensiva: estudo com enfoque no construcionismo social

Abstract

Communication is the link between the health team of the Intensive Care Unit with the patient in palliative care and his family. Using communication properly and in a broader perspective means promoting the principles and guidelines of palliative care in patient care without the possibility of cure in the intensive care unit. The research had as general objective: To understand the communication of health professionals with patients in palliative and family care in the context of the Intensive Care Unit and specific objectives: To identify how communication takes place between professionals working in palliative care in the Intensive Care Unit; Knowing how communication takes place between professionals and family members / patients in palliative care in the Intensive Care Unit; Identify facilities and difficulties of professionals in communicating with patients and family members in palliative care at the referred unit. This is an exploratory, descriptive research, with a qualitative approach, carried out in a large hospital in Salvador-Bahia. Bardin's Content Analysis was used as the methodological framework. The theoretical framework was based on Social Constructionism. The testimonies were collected between November 2018 and May 2019, using semi-structured interviews and passive participant observation. Three categories were apprehended: 1. Communication by the multidisciplinary team with patients in palliative care; 2. Communication of the multidisciplinary team with the family in palliative care; 3. Communication between the multiprofessional team about patients in palliative care, which generated 2 subcategories: 3.1. Communication difficulties and 3.2. Communication facilities. From the investigation about the communication established between health professionals and patients with family members in the referred context, resources were identified that the team uses to carry out adequate communication in the hospital context, such as welcoming and comfort. Difficulties were reported, making it necessary to think of strategies to overcome the obstacles involved in communication in the Intensive Care Unit with patients in palliative and family care. It is concluded that professionals from the Intensive Care Unit in assisting people in palliative care identify communication as an essential resource for the provision of care, the establishment of therapeutic goals and care based on dignity and promotion of quality of life.