Análisis de la situación de los Cuidados Paliativos en Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca y Loja desde la perspectiva de los profesionales médicos

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the current situation of Palliative Care (PC) in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Loja from the point of view of medical doctors. Methodological design: It is a descriptive and interpretative qualitative study, through the application of a SWOT matrix for the analysis of the Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses and Threats of the PC, which included 25 medical doctors from Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Loja. Results: The CPs are a developing area of health services, by this fact, they raise concern for the source of future action, as the growing demand for these services is evident. Medical professionals are convinced of the range of opportunities to enter with their professional contribution with the help of solid training through specialization. Conclusions: PCs are an excellent alternative to improve the quality of life in patients who are terminally ill; The PCs require commitment and solidarity, mainly from their managers, who must be closely linked to society. From the perspective of professionals, there is marked interest in the area of PC as a source of medical action with much future.