Objective:

To know the characteristics of the end-of-life process in a Regional Hospital, according to the actors involved, establishing convergence/divergence elements in care process, decision-making, information and knowledge.

Method:

Observational, cross-sectional, descriptive, convergent of mixed methods and data triangulation study. Carried out on a sample of 63 subjects, of which 25 were health professionals, 19 family caregivers and 19 medical records of patients who died in the course of a year.

Results:

Data triangulation shows discrepancies between family members and health professionals regarding care quality and the information provided. The lack of documentation in medical records of care aspects related to decision-making or terminal sedation stands out.

Conclusion:

This study provides an integrated view of end-of-life care provided in a Regional Hospital, identifying priority areas of intervention in order to improve quality of life in this process, such as patient involvement in decision-making, appropriate completion of medical records and health professional training.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Español | Inglés     · Español ( pdf ) | Inglés ( pdf )