Cuidados paliativos en la atención primaria de salud

En la actualidad, la oferta de cuidados paliativos especializados ha sido superada por la demanda, por lo cual la atención a pacientes con enfermedades en estado terminal o en fase final de la vida suele estar a cargo del médico del nivel primario de asistencia. En ese sentido, los cuidados paliativos primarios incluyen el diagnóstico, el tratamiento paliativo, la planificación anticipada, la gestión y coordinación de intervenciones multidisciplinarias y la transferencia a cuidados especializados cuando sea necesario y haya disponibilidad para ello. Al respecto, en este artículo se exponen brevemente algunos elementos sobre el tema y se propone, además, un algoritmo práctico y fácil de aplicar en la atención primaria, que permitirá identificar a la población aquejada por dolencias en esas etapas, con diferenciación en cuanto a afecciones neoplásicas o no neoplásicas.

Nowadays, the offer of specialized palliative care has been overcome by the demand, reason why care to patients with terminal illness or in end-of-life period is usually in charge of the doctor from primary care level. In that sense, primary palliative care includes the diagnosis, palliative treatment, early planning, administration and coordination of multidisciplinary interventions and referring to specialized care when it is necessary and the service is available. In this respect, some elements on the topic are shortly exposed in this work and, also, a practical and easy implementation algorithm in primary care is proposed that will allow identifying population suffering from pain in those stages, with differentiation as for neoplastic or non neoplastic affections.

The Role and Research Progress of Communication in the Implementation of Hospice Care for Professional Health Caregivers / 中国医学伦理学

The communication between professional health caregivers, which mainly composed of medical staff, and patients and their families plays an important role in hospice care. The effective doctor-patient communication can guide terminal patients and their families to establish a correct medical view, reduce excessive medical treatment, and improve the quality of life for terminal patients. This paper briefly described the communication context of hospice care, the communication subject and the current situation of hospice care, analyzed the problems and challenges encountered by professional health caregivers, which mainly including medical staff, in the communication context of hospice care diagnosis and hospice care, and made the prospects of the development of effective communication measures.

Analysis on the Psychosomatic Demands of Dying Patients in Hospice Care / 中国医学伦理学

Under the background of aging, the hospice care of the elderly, disability and dementia, and critically ill patients has attracted more and more attention. This paper discussed the ways to improve the quality of life of dying patients and proposed a method of whole-person, whole-family, whole-team care and companionship while doing medical treatment of this group. It also put forward suggestions: take hospice care as a strategic project to deal with aging, incorporate it into the Healthy China strategy, encourage more doctors, volunteers and caring people to join the hospice care team in terms of policy and employment orientation, and promote medical colleges from the aspects of disciplines, courses, teachers and examination, so as to constantly explore a more reasonable and warmer hospice care mechanism and model, alleviate the physical and mental problems of patients and let life end with more dignity.

Exploration and Analysis of Volunteers’ Participation in Hospice Care Service Mode from the Perspective of Multiple Mutual Aid / 中国医学伦理学

In an aging society, the coexistence of multiple diseases among the elderly is prominent, and the prevalence of malignant tumors continues to rise.It has positive practical significance that improving the quality of life of dying patients and developing hospice care. Based on welfare multivariate theory, volunteers joining the hospice care team is conducive to the diversified development of the hospice care. By carrying out voluntary services and giving dignity to the dying, the quality of death can be improved and social support can be reflected. Based on the theory of mutual aid, volunteer participation in hospice care services is conducive to promoting the improvement of social spiritual civilization and achieving a virtuous cycle of intergenerational mutual aid. The mode of volunteer participation in hospice care service is still being gradually explored. This paper aimed to propose that the government introduces relevant voluntary service policies to build a good social atmosphere; based on the knowledge, belief and practice model, carry out education and training for volunteers and promote the overall coordinated development of the service team; put forward suggestions on improving the volunteer service mechanism by reaching confidentiality agreements, and improving the willingness of the dying and their families to accept volunteer services, so as to provide reference for the sustainable development of hospice care.

Hospice Care with Chinese Characteristics from the Perspective of Comparison between Chinese and Western Cultures / 中国医学伦理学

Due to the difference of cultural background, the psychological, social and spiritual needs of dying people are very different, so there are great differences in the care and nursing concept of dying people in different countries and nationalities. In order to construct the modern hospice care, we should actively learn from the western experience, but more important is to dig the local ideological resources from the traditional culture, build a set of caring care theory and practice rooted in China and originated from the concept of a good end of Chinese traditional culture, with the characteristics of the times and the cultural confidence of the Chinese nation, serving the Chinese people, and with Chinese characteristics.

Morte digna como direito: visibilidade jurídica da finitude / Dignified death as a right: the legal visibility of finitude / La muerte digna como derecho: visibilidad jurídica de la finitud

Resumo O direito à morte digna é majoritariamente ignorado pelo ordenamento brasileiro. Essa invisibilidade do processo de finitude e suas consequências são tema deste estudo, que objetiva realizar um levantamento exploratório para identificar pontos relevantes que devem ser desenvolvidos para garantir um processo de finitude digno. Foram analisadas 50 publicações, mediante levantamento online e físico de obras publicadas até março de 2023. Os estudos analisados expressam preocupação com dilemas éticos do cuidar do ser humano em finitude, mas não analisam formas existentes de tutela da finitude nem quais searas ainda são carentes de normatização para dar eficácia a esse cuidado. Espera-se que esta pesquisa contribua para fortalecer o olhar crítico ao tema, considerando as atuais tutelas da finitude, os limites legais do Estado e os potenciais passos futuros para fazer avançar os estudos aplicados à atualização prática do ordenamento brasileiro.

Abstract The right to a dignified death is largely overlooked by Brazilian law. This neglect of the end-of-life process and its ramifications is the focus of this study, which aims at an exploratory survey to identify pertinent aspects requiring development to ensure a dignified end-of-life experience. In total, 50 publications were examined with online and physical surveys of works published up to March 2023. They express concerns regarding ethical dilemmas in caring for individuals nearing the end of life, yet they do not delve into existing mechanisms for safeguarding end-of-life dignity or identify areas that still lack standardization to ensure effective care. This study should contribute to the enhancement of critical perspectives on the issue of end-of-life experiences, considering current safeguards, the legal boundaries set by the State, and potential future strides toward advancing studies aimed at the practical update of the Brazilian legal system.

Resumen El derecho a una muerte digna es ampliamente ignorado por el ordenamiento jurídico brasileño. Esta invisibilidad del proceso de finitud y sus consecuencias son el objeto de este estudio, que tiene como objetivo realizar una encuesta exploratoria para identificar los puntos relevantes que deben desarrollarse para garantizar un proceso de finitud digno. Se analizaron 50 publicaciones a través de una encuesta online y física de obras publicadas hasta marzo de 2023. Los estudios analizados expresan preocupación por los dilemas éticos de la atención a seres humanos en finitud, pero no analizan las formas de protección a la finitud existentes ni cuáles son las áreas que aún necesitan regulación para hacer efectiva esta atención. Se espera que esta investigación contribuya a fortalecer la visión crítica de la finitud, considerando la protección actual de la finitud, los límites jurídicos del Estado y los posibles pasos futuros para avanzar en los estudios aplicados a la actualización práctica del sistema jurídico brasileño.

Status quo of hospice care service in community health service centers in Shanghai / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To survey the status quo of hospice care service in community health service centers in Shanghai.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the situation of hospice care services from January 2021 to December 2021 in 16 community health service centers selected by stratified sampling from 16 districts in Shanghai.Results:Among 16 community health service centers, 13 provided inpatient hospice care services, 16 provide home hospice care and 14 provided outpatient hospice care services; and totally 1 935 (77.93%), 158 (6.36%) and 390 (15.71%) patients received palliative care, respectively. In centers providing inpatient hospice care service, the average bed number was 12 (10, 20); the annual number of patients was 58 (29, 137); the average length of hospital stay was (29.55±11.18) days; and the bed occupancy rate was (55.51±30.02)%, which in urban districts was significantly higher than that in rural districts ((74.76±19.33)% vs.(39.00±28.32)%; t=2.61, P=0.024). The number of patients receiving home hospice care in each center was 10 (3, 19) and the average duration of home service was (66.97±29.41) days. The proportion of physician fee of inpatient hospice care and that of home hospice care were (8.61±5.27)% and (6.25±3.11)%, respectively. While the proportion of medication expenses of inpatient hospice care and that of home hospice care were (35.60±16.13)% and(49.58±9.16)%, respectively. The outpatient hospice service were opened 2.0 (1.0, 4.0) days a week in 14 centers and 95 (58, 199) patients received services. Inpatient services were mainly provided for the patients with non-malignant chronic diseases (53.23%, 1 030/1 935), while home hospice care (89.87%, 142/158) and outpatient hospice care (83.85%, 327/390) mainly provided service for malignant patients. Conclusion:There is still room for improvement about the hospice care services delivered by community health service centers in Shanghai:discrepancy of utilization of hospice care services between urban districts and rural districts, low utilization of home and outpatient hospice care services, unreasonable cost composition in inpatient and home hospice care services.

Status quo and influencing factors of work stress among hospice care physicians and nurses / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To investigate the work stress and its influencing factors among hospice care physicians and nurses in medical institutions in Shanghai.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. The study was carried out between December 2021 and January 2022. By use of multistage random sampling, 256 hospice care physicians and nurses were selected from community healthcare centers, secondary and tertiary hospitals in Shanghai to attend a WeChat-based survey using a self-designed questionnaire. The chi-square test was used to compare the differences in prevalence of work stress and stressors among all subjects with different characteristics. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the major determinants associated with work stress. And the sources of work stress and the expepectd decompression countermeasures were investigated.Results:A total of 256 valid questionnaires were collected with a recovery rate of 100.0%. The median of work stress score was 7.5 (6.0, 9.0). Logistic regression analysis showed that those aged>40 years old and working for ≥5 years in hospice care service had higher level of work stress ( OR=3.78, 2.04; P=0.007, 0.039), and those with monthly income>10 000 RMB Yuan had lower level of work stress ( OR=0.34, P=0.005). The top three stressors were the death of patients (88.3%, 226/256), low income (78.1%, 200/256), difficulty in promotion (67.2%, 172/256). The top three way that doctors and nurses desired to reduce work stress were to increase income (88.3%, 226/256) and optimize performance appraisal target (78.1%, 200/256) and promotion mechanism (66.0%, 169/256). Conclusions:In general, the work stress among hospice care physicians and nurses is at a high level in Shanghai and the stressors are widely distributed. Age, monthly salary and years of working in hospice care unit are independent factors of work stress. Improving salary, optimizing performance appraisal target and promotion mechanism are the most desired strategies to reduce work stress among hospice care physicians and nurses.

Investigation and comparative study on death cognition and hospice care attitude of the graduate students of clinical medicine / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To investigate and analyze the status quo of death cognition and hospice care attitude of clinical medical graduate students, to compare the differences between the two groups, and to explore the correlation between death cognition and hospice care attitude, so as to provide the reference for the reform and construction of death cognition and hospice care education in medical colleges and universities in China.Methods:A survey was carried out on 496 doctoral and postgraduate students majoring in clinical medicine by using the "Questionnaire of General Sociology Survey", the Chinese version of the "Death Attitude Profile Revised Scale", and the Chinese version of the "Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale Form B (FATCOD-B)" to investigate the death cognition and hospice care attitude of 496 doctoral and postgraduate students majoring in clinical medicine, and classified and compared the survey results of the two groups. The results of this study were statistically analyzed by t-test, Pearson correlation analysis and other statistical methods. Results:A total of 469 valid questionnaires were recovered after excluding 27 unqualified questionnaires. Statistical analysis showed that the scores of each dimension in the death attitude description scale of doctoral students were ranked as follows: approach acceptance (4.28±0.53), neutral acceptance (3.99±0.41), death avoidance (2.74±0.63), fear of death (2.65±0.57) and escape acceptance (2.47±0.69) the scores of postgraduates were ranked as neutral acceptance (3.96±0.52), approach acceptance (2.84±0.61), fear of death (2.78±0.65), death escape (2.62±0.73), escape acceptance (2.39±0.77). At the same time, the scores of hospice care attitude in the doctoral group were higher than those in the master group [(110.63±8.96) vs. (106.78±6.52)], and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.001). In addition, the scores of "fear of death" and the scores of hospice care attitudes were negatively correlated with the scores of doctoral and master students ( r=-0.25, r=-0.21), while the scores of hospice care attitudes were positively correlated with the scores of "neutral acceptance" in death cognition ( r=0.50, r=0.32). However, the hospice care attitude scores of doctoral students were negatively correlated with the "death avoidance" scores in death cognition ( r=-0.27). Conclusion:Doctoral and postgraduate students have a certain awareness of hospice care, while their death cognition and hospice care attitude still need to be improved and strengthened from sociology, psychology, ethics and other perspectives. The above will promote the harmony between doctors and patients while meeting the needs of an aging society in China.

The development of the course of end-of-life care education in medical colleges and universities at home and abroad: a scoping review / 中华医学教育探索杂志

The end-of-life care education of medical students is related to the development of hospice care in the future. This paper comprehensively reviewed the setting up situations of end-of-life care education courses at home and abroad, as well as the status quo of courses' implementation, including teaching contents, teaching methods, assessment methods, teaching staff, teaching evaluations and effects. Based on these aspects, we have made some thoughts and suggestions, in order to provide reference for the development of end-of-life care education courses in medical colleges and universities in China.

Construction of training program system for hospice care volunteers / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To construct the training program system for hospice care volunteers and provide reference for the training of hospice care volunteers in China.Methods:The training program system for hospice care volunteers was initially determined by using the method of literature analysis and investigation, and 16 experts were consulted by two rounds of letters using the method of expert inquiry from May to July 2022, and finally the training program system was established.Results:The effective recovery rate of the two rounds of expert consultation questionnaire was 100%, the expert authority coefficient was 0.88, and the Kendall coordination coefficient was 0.141, 0.131 (both P<0.05). The final training program system for hospice care volunteers contained 7 first-class indicators including training objectives, training objects, training contents, training methods, training hours, training resources and training evaluation, 27 second-class indicators and 92 third-class indicators. Conclusions:The training program system for hospice care volunteers constructed in this study has high reliability and scientificity, and has a good guiding role and reference value for the training of hospice care volunteers.

Qualitative research on home-based hospice care experiences of nurses: a Meta-synthesis / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To systematically review the experience of nurses′ in providing home-based hospice care, so as to provide a basis for improving the quality of home-based hospice care and the nursing service system.Methods:Qualitative researches on nurses′ experience of providing home-based hospice care were retrieved from the Cochrane Library, PubMed,Web of Science, EBSCO, Medline, China National Knowledge Internet, China Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang Database, VIP Database from inception to April 1, 2022. Adopting Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool (2016) to evaluate the quality of included studies, the Meta-synthesis was used to explain and integrate the research results.Results:A total of 9 articles were included. This study extracted 23 clear results, 8 new categories, and 3 integrated results, including the significance of nurses′ acceptance of home-based hospice care; positive and negative emotions coexist when nurses provide home-based hospice care; challenges in implementing home-based hospice care.Conclusions:The development of home-based hospice care service is helpful to provide continuous care for the terminally ill patients and improve their quality of life, but at the same time, the ability of home-based hospice care of nurses should be further improved and the related policy guarantee should be perfected to promote the steady development of home-based hospice care in China.

Qualitative Study on Disease Communication Experience between Parents and Cancer Children from the Perspective of Familism / 中国医学伦理学

【Objective:】 To explore the disease communication between cancer children and their parents from the perspective of their parents. 【Methods:】 Using qualitative description method and semi-structured interview, 16 parents from the pediatric oncology department of a tertiary A hospital were collected. Colaizzi 7-step method was used to analyze the interview data and summarize the theme. 【Results:】 Four themes were summarized, including perception of the psychological changes of children after illness, changes in the future planning of children, different attitude towards informing children’s diseases, different opinions on children’s participation in medical decision-making. 【Conclusions:】 The awareness of disease communication and medical decision-making in cancer families is insufficient. It is difficult for parents to communicate actively and effectively with their cancer children, and the children’s families are unable to make clear plans for the children’s future. Therefore, it is necessary to construct a theoretical system of disease communication and medical shared decision-making from the perspective of Chinese familism, and strengthen the promotion of scientific communication methods.

Application Status and Research Progress of Palliative Care in Patients with End-stage Renal Disease / 中国医学伦理学

End-stage renal disease is the final stage of chronic kidney disease, and research on palliative care for end-stage renal disease patients in China is still in its infancy. The research content of palliative care for end-stage renal disease at home and abroad mainly includes identification and management of symptoms, advance care planning, psychosocial and spiritual support, and ethical issues in dialysis decision-making. However, practical experience is still insufficient. By focusing on the overview, development status, patient needs, as well as implementation forms and models of palliative care for endstage renal disease patients, this paper summarized the research progress and application status of related research, with a view to providing references for future domestic research and clinical practice in this field.

Learning Situation Analysis on "Living Will" and "Hospice Care" in Teaching Practice of Geriatrics / 中国医学伦理学

Objective: To investigate the cognitive status of "living will" and "hospice care" among geriatrics students with different identities, and to provide a basis for improving teaching in corresponding sections of geriatric medicine. Methods:An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 426 students participating in specific courses in geriatric medicine and compare their differences in understanding of different issues. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the understanding of the concept of "living will" among students with different identities (χ2=5.84, P=0.054). In terms of the concept of "hospice care" , geriatricians and general practitioners had a better understanding than that of medical undergraduates (χ2=37.932, P<0.001). Compared to geriatricians and medical undergraduates, general practitioners had a lower level of autonomy in deciding whether to use life support treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=28.737, P<0.001). There was a statistically significant difference between general practitioners and medical undergraduates in the understanding of "signing living will" (χ2=12.75, P=0.01). Conclusion: The promotion of "living will" and "hospice care" in humanities courses of medical undergraduate and continuing medical education needs to be strengthened, and the popularization and publicity among the general public should be enhanced to lay the groundwork for improving the quality of hospice care.

Progress in the Application of Various Theoretical Models in Advance Care Planning / 中国医学伦理学

Advance care planning (ACP) is an important part of hospice care, a core index of high-quality palliative care, and one of the effective indicators for improving the life quality of end-of-life patients. By reviewing the progress of various theoretical models and their applications in ACP, including planned behavior theory, behavioral change wheel theory, self-determination theory, prospect theory, change theory, and cultural suitability theory, this paper delved into the advantages and limitations of each theoretical model and analyzed its research prospects in future ACP clinical practice to promote researchers’ correct understanding of the role of different theoretical models in various types of studies, with a view to providing new ideas for clinical research on ACP.

Analysis on Hospice Care Cognition Status and Influencing Factors among High School Students in Guangzhou / 中国医学伦理学

【Objective:】 To investigate the cognition, attitude and influencing factors of hospice care among high school students in Guangzhou, and to provide basis for improving the understanding level of hospice care and death education among adolescents. 【Methods:】 A total of 226 questionnaires were collected by convenient sampling and questionnaire survey. The questionnaire covered two parts: basic information of the respondents, cognition and attitude towards hospice care (including four dimensions: basic knowledge of hospice care, knowledge of pain control, attitude and thought of hospice care, and attitude towards hospice care education). Excel software was used to preliminary screen, preprocess and establish database of data. SPSS21.0 was used for statistical analysis. T-test and ANOVA were used for difference analysis, multiple linear regression was used for correlation analysis. 【Results:】 High school students had a basic understanding of hospice care. Among the four dimensions of basic knowledge of hospice care, knowledge of pain control, attitude and thought of hospice care, and attitude towards hospice care education, the cognition of "knowledge of pain control" dimension was the weakest link, and the entry of "attitude and thought of hospice care" had the highest score, which was the strong cognitive link. 【Conclusion:】 The main influencing factors of high school students’ cognition of hospice care were family structure, family residence and whether they have understood hospice care. This paper recommended that schools should add medical humanities education courses related to hospice and death education, and cooperate with hospice care centers to carry out hospice care experience practices. It was also suggested that relevant departments or organizations should make full use of mainstream media, such as online media and WeChat public accounts, to strengthen the popularity and popularization of hospice care education and science popularization from multiple channels and aspects, and improve the level and quality of hospice care education for young people.

Construction of Sustained Social Support System for Advance Care Plan / 中国医学伦理学

With the aggravation of global aging process and the strengthening of patients’ awareness of rights, the realization of the elderly and end-of-life patients’ right to know and autonomy, and the satisfaction of physical and mental needs have become new indicators to measure social development. Advance care plan focuses on the discussion process of patients, their families and medical staff on end-of-life medical decisions and death intentions, which greatly promotes the development concept of palliative care and optimal death. To promote this process in the context of traditional Chinese culture, it is also necessary to combine with the local family concept and collectivism. Therefore, this paper introduced a sustainable social support system involving multiple subjects such as families, communities, social workers, and legal workers, with a view to benefiting the elderly and end-of-life patients.

Investigation on the Current Situation and Influencing Factors of Attitudes and Training Needs of Hospice Care among Nursing Staff in Hainan Province / 中国医学伦理学

【Objective:】 To investigate the current situation of attitudes and training needs of hospice care among nursing staff in Hainan Province, and analyze the influencing factors, so as to provide basis for formulating scientific and standardized hospice care training programs for nursing staff. 【Methods:】 From October to December in 2021, a total of 1 819 nursing staff from 45 general hospitals, specialized hospitals and nursing homes in 14 cities and counties of Hainan province were selected by convenience sampling method to conduct the questionnaire on hospice care attitude and training needs. 【Results:】 1 789 valid questionnaires were collected with effective recovery of 98.35%. Nursing staff hospice care attitude score was (88.13±12.10) points, the standard score was 70.4 points, hospice care attitude was at medium level. Nursing staff training needs score was (26.96±5.16) points, the standard score was 89.87, the needs of each dimension and item were higher than 75.1%, the training needs were at high level. Professional title, currently engaged in hospice care services, and willingness to engage in hospice care services were the influencing factors of hospice care training needs (P<0.05), and the hospital, have witnessed the death of dying patients or relatives, willingness to engage in hospice care services were the main influencing factors of nurses’ attitude toward hospice care (P<0.05). 【Conclusion:】 At present, nursing staff in Hainan Province held a moderate attitude towards hospice care, and had a high demand for training. The major obstacles for nursing staff to engage in hospice care at present were high stress in the face of dying patients and symptom management. Nursing managers should combine the current situation, pay attention to stimulate nurses’ intrinsic motivation, strengthen the training of nursing staff’s concept of hospice nursing, construct a diversified training system, and carry out specialized and modular skill practice and theoretical training to improve nursing staff’s hospice care ability.

Análisis de costo-efectividad de los cuidados paliativos a pacientes oncológicos de fin de vida / Cost-effectiveness analysis of palliative care of cancer patients in the end of life / Análise de custo-efetividade dos cuidados paliativos de pacientes oncológicos na terminalidade da vida

En pacientes con enfermedad terminal, los servicios de cuidados paliativos domiciliarios pueden alinear sus preferencias de cuidado en domicilio con resultados sanitarios deseables. El objetivo fue estudiar la costo-efectividad de los cuidados paliativos domiciliarios en pacientes oncológicos en el último año de vida en el subsector público de salud de una provincia argentina. Se desarrolló un modelo de Markov de costo-efectividad desde una perspectiva social y del financiador de salud, de modo que el mismo pudiera reflejar la realidad de los cuidados paliativos domiciliarios en el ámbito local, en comparación con los cuidados habituales. Se calcularon los costos directos para el sistema de salud, con base en información local, así como también los costos indirectos de los cuidados informales no remunerados. La provisión de cuidados paliativos incrementó en un 10,32% la probabilidad que los pacientes fallezcan en el hogar, en relación con los cuidados habituales, con un ahorro anual de USD 750 y USD 1.012 por paciente desde la perspectiva social y del financiador, respectivamente, en el subsector público de salud de Río Negro. Tanto desde la perspectiva social como del financiador, la estrategia de implementación de un servicio organizado de cuidados tiene una mayor efectividad, medida en porcentaje de pacientes que fallecen en su domicilio, a un menor costo. El principal inductor de costos corresponde, desde la perspectiva social, a los cuidados informales provistos por las familias, mientras que desde la perspectiva del financiador corresponde a los salarios del personal de salud.

Home palliative care services of terminal patients may associate home care preferences with desirable health outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of home palliative care of cancer patients in the last year of life in the public health subsector in a province of Argentina. A cost-effectiveness Markov model was developed from a social and the health funder's perspective in order to reflect the reality of home palliative care at the local level compared with usual care. Direct costs to the health system and indirect costs of unpaid informal care were estimated based on local information. Palliative care increased the likelihood of patients dying at home by 10.32% compared with usual care, with annual savings of USD 750 and USD 1,012 per patient, respectively, from both the social and the funder's perspective in the public health subsector in Río Negro. From both the social and financial perspective, the strategy to implement organized care services was more effective and lower-cost, measured by the percentage of patients who died at home. From a social perspective, the main cost inducer was the formal care provided by families, but from the funder's perspective, it refers to the salaries of the health team.

Os serviços de cuidados paliativos domiciliares de pacientes terminais podem associar as preferências de cuidado domiciliar com resultados desejáveis de saúde. O objetivo deste texto foi avaliar a relação custo-efetividade dos cuidados paliativos domiciliares em pacientes oncológicos no último ano de vida, no subsetor de saúde pública de uma província na Argentina. Um modelo Markov de custo-efetividade foi desenvolvido a partir de uma perspectiva social e do financiador de saúde para que pudesse refletir a realidade dos cuidados paliativos domiciliares em âmbito local comparado aos cuidados habituais. Os custos diretos para o sistema de saúde e os custos indiretos de cuidados informais não remunerados foram calculados com base em informações locais. A prestação de cuidados paliativos aumentou 10,32% a probabilidade de os doentes morrerem em casa em relação com os cuidados habituais, com uma economia anual de USD 750 e USD 1.012 por paciente, respetivamente, na perspectiva social e do financiador, no subsetor da saúde pública de Rio Negro. Tanto do ponto de vista social como no financeiro, a estratégia de implantação de serviços de cuidados organizados foi mais eficaz e com menor custo, medida pelo percentual de pacientes que faleceram em casa. O principal indutor de custos corresponde, do ponto de vista social, aos cuidados informais prestados pelas famílias, enquanto do ponto de vista do financiador se refere aos salários da equipe de saúde.