Perspective of health personnel on end-of-life care in Intensive Care Units.

OBJECTIVE

To understand for what care of the patient at the end of life and their relatives means to ICU health professionals.

METHODS

Qualitative study with a Research-Action (AI) design, in two intensive care units of the city of Bogotá. Groups were formed in each unit and each group included at least six health professionals, the data collection techniques were: 4 participative assemblies and 6 clinical narratives, the data analysis was done through the preparation of the data, discovery of topics, coding and interpretation of data, relativisation and rigour of the data.

RESULTS

20 ICU workers participated, the analysis of the data revealed four thematic categories: Multidisciplinary team of the ICU facing the end-of-life process, Management of critical patients and their families at the end of life in the ICU, Communication process between the patient, family and multidisciplinary team at the end of life, Ethical aspects at the end of life in the ICU CONCLUSIONS: The professionals consider preserving quality of life during the patient's stay in the ICU a therapeutic objective. The development of evidence-based guidelines that facilitate multidisciplinary management at the end of life, customisation of care, effective communication, fulfilling the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the person and their family and favouring the patient's right of autonomy in decision making.