Search

"Introducción: La comunicación al final de la vida entre paciente paliativo, familiares y profesionales sanitarios es difícil. La conspiración o pacto de silencio es en nuestro medio un fenómeno que se da con frecuencia en pacientes en cuidados paliativos y sus familiares, incluso participando los profesionales sanitarios. Este hecho conlleva a un peor afrontamiento ante la muerte, por lo que es importante conocer por qué se produce y qué creencias, sentimientos y vivencias tienen pacientes y/o familiares cuando se enfrentan al final de la vida. Objetivo: Explorar e identificar las actitudes, vivencias y opiniones de las personas cuidadoras familiares al mantener la conspiración de silencio a pacientes paliativos. Diseño: Estudio descriptivo con metodología cualitativa. Población de estudio: personas cuidadoras familiares de pacientes en programa de cuidados paliativos. Técnica: entrevistas semiestructuradas audio grabadas a personas cuidadoras familiares de pacientes en cuidados paliativos, hasta cumplir criterio de saturación. Análisis de contenido: mediante análisis sintáctico, semántico y pragmático. Triangulación de investigadores. Abstract: Introduction: The communication at the end-of-life among terminally ill patients, their family and health workers is difficult. The conspiracy of silence is a frequent situation for patients in palliative care and their families, even for health workers involved. Since this situation leads to an inadequate coping of the death, it is of major importance to know why it happens and the beliefs, feelings and experiences of patients and families who are living these circumstances. Objective: To explore and identify experiences, attitudes and opinions that patients and their families have when they maintain the conspiracy of silence to terminally ill patients. Design: Qualitative descriptive research. Participants: Caregivers of patients in palliative care program. Method: Audio-taped semi-structured interview to caregivers of patients in palliative care until saturation criteria. Data Analysis: Content analysis, through syntactic, semantic and pragmatic analysis, with triangulation of researchers. Centro de Trabajo: (1, 5) Enfermera Gestora de Casos, UGC (Sevilla). (2, 3, 4) Enfermeros Gestores de Casos, UGC (Sevilla), Licenciados en Antropología. (6)Enfermera de Familia, UGC (Cádiz). Fecha del Trabajo: 23/02/2011 Palabra Clave: Actitud Frente a la muerte; Comunicación; Cuidados Paliativos; Cuidadores. Key Words: Attitude to Death; Communication; Hospice Care; Caregivers.

Introduction: The communication at the end-of-life among terminally ill patients, their family and health workers is difficult. The conspiracy of silence is a frequent situation for patients in palliative care and their families, even for health workers involved. Since this situation leads to an inadequate coping of the death, it is of major importance to know why it happens and the beliefs, feelings and experiences of patients and families who are living these circumstances. Objective: To explore and identify experiences, attitudes and opinions that patients and their families have when they maintain the conspiracy of silence to terminally ill patients. Design: Qualitative descriptive research. Participants: Caregivers of patients in palliative care program. Method: Audio-taped semi-structured interview to caregivers of patients in palliative care until saturation criteria. Data Analysis: Content analysis, through syntactic, semantic and pragmatic analysis, with triangulation of researchers.