Cuidados paliativos ao paciente com esclerose lateral amiotrófica: vivência de fisioterapeutas no âmbito hospitalar.

Abstract

Objective: Describe the experience of physiotherapists caring for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) undergoing palliative care in a hospital setting. Methods: A descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study was conducted with physiotherapists from the internal medicine and surgical wards of a public hospital in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba-Brazil, using a semi-structured interview and empirical material submitted to the content analysis technique. Results: Eight physiotherapists were interviewed and four thematic categories emerged from the data analysis: I- Understanding of palliative care; II- Strategies of the physiotherapists to promote palliative care for these patients; III- Interaction of the physiotherapists with the multiprofessional team promoting palliative care in ALS; IV- Experience of the physiotherapists in assisting these patients. Conclusion: The physiotherapists based their arguments on their professional experience, highlighting the need for further discussions and a better understanding of the subject among these professionals to align theory with practice.