Relationship between doctors and patients in the end of life process in palliative care and dysthanasia

Abstract

Introduction: In the course of an illness, when the patient receives a poor prognosis, he can be assisted with dysthanasia or palliative care. The therapeutic choice and the adherence to it are related, among other factors, to the quality of the doctor-patient relationship. The objective of this study was to evaluate the patients’ point of view of the doctor-patient relationship in the end of life process, and compare scores between patients in palliative care and those experiencing dysthanasia. Method: The design was a descriptive survey with a non-probabilistic sample composed of 234 patients with cancer in the end of life process: 117 in palliative care and 117 expriencing dysthanasia. Two instruments were used: a biodemographic questionnaire and the Questionnaire for Assessing the Doctor-Patient Relationship in the End of Life Process, and data were analyzed using descriptive and bivariate statistics in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results: The results showed good evaluations of the doctor-patient relationship. Palliative care patients attributed better scores in terms of time dedicated, attention, confidence, understanding and communication; and patients experiencing dysthanasia made better assessments in terms of frequency of visits and continuity of care. Conclusion: It is concluded that this study represents an advance in studies on the subject and indicates that patients in palliative care perceive the doctor-patient relationship more positively than patients undergoing dysthanasia. It stressed that it is necessary to invest in training medical students and professionals to carry out interventions that prioritize the use of their oldest, simplest and most powerful technology: the relationship between professionals and patients.