Barreras de accseso a cuidados paliativos en paciente con discapacidad intelectual

Abstract

Abstract:Patients wtih intellectual disabilities experience healthcare inequalities, including access to palliative care, little is known about intellectual disability (ID). The aim of this literature review is to identify the existing barriers that limit the access to palliative care in patients with intellectual disability. Methods: A bibliographic review of publications since 2014 was carried out, identified in four databases (MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Biomed Central and Elsevier Scopus), along with hand searches in scientific journals. All study designs were included, most of the participants were patients with ID, and the rest were health professionals who had worked with them or had experience in palliative care. Results: 22 studies were analyzed. The barriers identified were difficult to access health services, lack of reference to palliative care, communication, and lack of preparation and experience of health professionals. Conclusion: This review shows the specific barriers that ID patients must face to access palliative care. More research on disability is needed and how to detect their need for palliative care, so they can benefit from this service.