A Glance at the Psychological Protocols in Palliative Care

Abstract

Introduction: Psychological protocols in palliative care are aimed at assisting patients and families in the physical and mental environment to cope with these processes. A failure on the part of the health personnel will generate psychopathologies (anxiety, depression, stress) that will affect the physical and mental state that they seek to help.

With a correct application, they will enhance an environment of trust towards relatives and patients granting the ability to establish a social relationship directed to the emotional state of amabas.

Objective: To evaluate the degree of application by health personnel within the psychological protocols in palliative care.

Methods: Quantitative study, of exploratory scope with a transactional non-experimental design; as an instrument, it began with the structuring of a standardized questionnaire with validation by Expert Method, applied with 3 experts; for reliability the Cronbach's Alpha indicator was applied. This questionnaire included questions on the Likert Scale and was applied at the SOLCA Oncology Unit, Tungurahua nucleus. 

Results: The degree of responsibility maintained by health personnel when addressing the emotional sphere of relatives and patients was identified, this responsibility oriented to concern and subsequently to provide information of psychological aids in which relatives could participate.

Conclusions: The level of application of psychological aids within this care by health personnel addresses some failures due to the high work demand presented within the health center, this prevents health personnel from being able to generate emotional bonds and therefore not being able to refer to necessary aids.

Keywords: Palliative care; psychological protocols; psychological interventions; terminal illness; psychopathologies.