Palliative care and end of life care in Latin America: scoping review

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Populational aging and improved treatments for chronic non-communicable diseases extend life expectancy but not always quality of life. By 2060, 48 million people are expected to die of serious illnesses, and 83% of these deaths will occur in developing countries. Only 14% of those who needed palliative care receive it. AIM: To describe the methodological trends, thematic areas, populations studied, and future challenges in Latin American regions with respect to adult palliative care. METHODS: A scoping review of 60 articles from 2010 to 2019 in indexed journals in English, Spanish, and Portuguese was conducted. RESULTS: Most articles were from Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. Patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and students constituted the primary study population. Quality of Life, knowledge, and costs of attention were also assessed. It appears that early palliative care improves the outcomes of patients, caregivers, and health care professionals, however, the disparity in palliative care services between Latin America, US, UK, Canada, and Spain is concerning. CONCLUSIONS: Globally, more palliative care is needed, especially in Latin America. However, there are not enough graduate palliative care programs. Academic palliative care education must be promoted. Communication between the interdisciplinary team, the patient, and the caregiver is critical. While the region's scientific literature output has improved, many knowledge gaps remain. For patients' sake, governments should regulate, create, and facilitate palliative care services.