Exploring critical factors in pediatric palliative care in Latin America: A scoping review.

This scoping review aimed to provide an overview of the current landscape of pediatric palliative care in Latin America, including policies, regulations, available resources, challenges, barriers, and evidence-based recommendations. We conducted a comprehensive search for peer-reviewed articles related to pediatric palliative care in Latin America, considering both review and empirical articles published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish within the last decade. Our review initially identified 30 publications, which were subjected to a full-text assessment. The majority of these articles originated from Brazil, Mexico, and Chile, highlighting a regional concentration of research efforts. Notably, we observed a scarcity of comprehensive research and specific studies on pediatric palliative care in Latin America. Our findings revealed significant challenges, including resource limitations, the absence of dedicated policies, and the critical need for interdisciplinary teams to address the multifaceted aspects of pediatric palliative care. In light of our review, we emphasise the necessity for more extensive and representative research efforts, as well as the continuous updating of scientific evidence in the field of pediatric palliative care within the Latin American context. The recommendations derived from this review aim to contribute to the enhancement of pediatric palliative care services and accessibility throughout Latin America.

Access to cancer pain management in Ecuador from health workers' perspective: a qualitative study.

Background: Ecuador is facing increasing health-related suffering due to cancer; however, the distributed opioid analgesic in the country is below the global average. Aim: This study explores the access to cancer pain management (CPM) from the healthcare professionals' perspective in a middle-income country. Methods: Thirty problem-centered interviews with healthcare providers were conducted in six cancer facilities and were analyzed thematically. Results: Limited and unequal access to opioid analgesics was reported. Structural weaknesses of the healthcare system restrain access for the poorest, at the primary care level, and for people living in remote areas. The lack of education among the healthcare personnel, patients, and society was identified as the main barrier. Conclusion: Access barriers were interrelated; therefore multisectoral strategies must be considered to improve access to CPM.

The number of patients with cancer in Ecuador is growing. It is known that people with a cancer diagnosis often experience severe pain, which requires opioid analgesics. In this study, we explore the opinion of healthcare providers regarding access to opioid analgesics to alleviate cancer pain in Ecuador. We interviewed 30 healthcare professionals working at six cancer centers in different cities, who deal daily with patients with a cancer diagnosis. We found that it is difficult for cancer patients in the country to access adequate pain therapy and this generates avoidable severe health-related suffering. The structure of the healthcare system makes it difficult to be supplied with the medication they need. That is worst for the country's poor and people in rural areas. The main problem is the lack of knowledge on the subject among health workers, patients and society. We conclude that the obstacles in providing patients access to cancer pain relief lie in different areas, including the healthcare system, the healthcare professionals and the patients and society, all of which are interrelated. All areas must work together to improve the situation.

Beliefs About Morphine in Palliative Care: Results From an Ecuadorian Sample.

Background: Previous research unambiguously establishes the importance of knowledge and education about opioids and pain management in medical care. This article aimed at describing the perception of the general public on the uses and the risks of morphine in palliative care in an Ecuadorian sample, where training and access to those services is limited. Methods: We used an online recruited sample of 257 participants for this cross-sectional descriptive study. Participants responded to an online self-report survey regarding morphine's effects and its relationship with addiction and death in a palliative care context. Results: Analyses indicate that there is a lack of understanding about the effectiveness of morphine and that, overall, participants did not associate morphine with death and dying. Results also show that people in health-related occupations did not differ from the general public in beliefs about the addiction and the effectiveness of morphine. However, occupation and education effects were noted for several other items, as well as whether the participants had direct experiences with palliative care as either a patient or a caregiver. Conclusions: There is still misinformation about opioids such as morphine in the general public and health professionals in Ecuador. Although personal experiences with pain control and palliative care are linked to better knowledge about opioids, education is still necessary to overcome the myths around them. Future research could address the found misconceptions to increase health literacy through education policies and interventions.

Knowledge of Palliative Care in Ecuador.

Palliative care is a holistic approach to care for people with chronic, advanced, and life-threatening illnesses. It improves the quality of life of patients and their caregivers. However, there is still limited access to palliative care in many countries. Knowledge about palliative care is key to increase its availability. Thus, this article aimed to explore the knowledge of the general population about palliative care in Ecuador. The study had a descriptive cross-sectional design. Through snowball sampling, between September 2019 and January 2020, 257 people completed an anonymous online questionnaire about general and specific aspects of palliative care. Descriptive and ANOVA analyses indicate that people have many misconceptions about palliative care and how it should be provided. Gender, education, training, occupation, and experience as caregivers were related to the total level of knowledge about palliative care. Regression analyses show other variables as predictors of knowledge. This study highlights the lack of knowledge about specific issues within palliative care in the general population in Ecuador. It also shows the need to develop and implement education measures to fill these gaps and enhance access to palliative care in health systems.

Development of a cognitive-existential intervention to decrease compassion fatigue in formal caregivers / Desarrollo de una intervención cognitiva-existencial para disminuir la fatiga por compasión en cuidadores formales

Abstract Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients with chronic and advanced illnesses and their families. This requires a multidisciplinary approach from formal caregivers. Though caring for others could be rewarding and this satisfaction relates to higher work engagement and resiliency, formal caregivers of palliative care patients may develop compassion fatigue due to the nature of their work. This fatigue affects caregivers, their interpersonal relationships, and the quality of care they provide. Supporting formal caregivers and improving communication plays a vital role. Considering the efficacy of the existential interventions in other populations, and the lack of testing of these interventions on formal caregivers of palliative care teams, this article aims to describe the design and development of an eight-session cognitive-existential group-based psychoeducational intervention to reduce compassion fatigue and to promote self-care and satisfaction of formal caregivers of palliative care patients in a Latin American context. The intervention used Frankl's Logotherapy and Ellis' rational emotive therapy as the theoretical framework and included the necessities of formal caregivers in this specific setting. As a result, this article presents the theoretical development of the intervention and its structure, as well as the objectives and specific content of each session. Empirical research, reported elsewhere, has proven its long-term effectiveness in reducing the compassion fatigue of this population. This makes it a replicable intervention with promising results. Future studies need to continue its evaluation and include professionals in other settings outside palliative care.

Resumen Los cuidados paliativos buscan mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas con enfermedades crónicas y avanzadas, y la de sus familiares. Este tipo de cuidados requiere un enfoque multidisciplinario desde un equipo de cuidadores formales, trabajadores o voluntarios asociados a un sistema de servicios estructurado que brindan cuidados y atención. Este equipo puede incluir voluntarios y especialistas en medicina, enfermería, trabajo social, psicología, cuidado espiritual, nutrición, entre otros. Todos los involucrados deben tener entrenamiento específico y una actitud humanizada para lidiar no solo con los síntomas físicos de las enfermedades sino con las necesidades psicológicas y espirituales que los pacientes y sus familias puedan tener. Por esto, trabajar en cuidados paliativos demanda conocimiento, autocuidado y fortaleza emocional y psicológica. A pesar de que cuidar de otras personas puede ser gratificante y esta satisfacción se relaciona con el compromiso laboral (engagement) y la resiliencia, los cuidadores formales de personas con necesidades paliativas también pueden desarrollar fatiga por compasión debido a la naturaleza de su labor. Esta fatiga afecta a sus relaciones interpersonales y a la calidad del cuidado que brindan. Desde una perspectiva organizacional, el apoyar a los cuidadores formales es vital. Investigaciones muestran que el respeto, el sentido y el perdón pueden influir en la satisfacción laboral y en el desempeño. La literatura contiene algunas intervenciones que procuran promover estas y otras características para aliviar la posible carga del cuidador; sin embargo, es difícil analizar y replicar dichas intervenciones debido a una falta de rigurosidad en el reporte de sus procedimientos, su desarrollo y su efectividad. Las intervenciones centradas en el sentido se han mostrado efectivas en promover la satisfacción en pacientes y familiares de personas con necesidades paliativas. No obstante, a la fecha de realización de este estudio, solo una intervención reportaba el uso del enfoque existencial con cuidadores formales (enfermeras de cuidados paliativos). Considerando la efectividad de las intervenciones de base existencial en otras poblaciones y la ausencia de investigación sobre estas en cuidadores formales de equipos de cuidados paliativos, este artículo tiene como objetivo describir el diseño y desarrollo de una intervención psicoeducativa grupal de tipo cognitivo-existencial de ocho sesiones creada para reducir la fatiga por compasión y promover el autocuidado y la satisfacción de los cuidadores formales de pacientes en cuidados paliativos en un contexto latinoamericano. Primero, considerando la literatura existente y las situaciones específicas con las que lidian los cuidadores, inicialmente utilizamos la logoterapia de Viktor Frankl como la base teórica de la intervención. De esta manera buscamos abordar los problemas existenciales y las situaciones que los cuidadores enfrentan diariamente. Después de este desarrollo teórico, dos expertos en terapia existencial revisaron la intervención propuesta. Como resultado, se incorporaron técnicas de la terapia racional emotiva de Albert Ellis. Además, también se tuvo en cuenta un estudio cualitativo que informaba sobre las necesidades de los cuidadores formales en este contexto específico con respecto a su fatiga y satisfacción en el trabajo. De esta manera, se adaptó la versión final de la intervención para satisfacer las necesidades específicas de la población objetivo. Como resultado, este artículo presenta el desarrollo teórico de la intervención y la construcción de su estructura, así como los objetivos y el contenido de cada una de las sesiones. Tanto el material para los participantes como el manual del facilitador están disponibles mediante el contacto con el autor responsable de la correspondencia. Investigación empírica, publicada en otro lugar, ha demostrado la eficacia a largo plazo de esta intervención para reducir la fatiga por compasión. Esto la convierte en una intervención replicable con resultados prometedores. Futuros estudios podrían continuar su evaluación con cuidadores en entornos fuera de los cuidados paliativos.