Communication challenges and infection control in palliative care: narrative review
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Introduction: Palliative Care (PC) is a person-centered approach aimed at improving the quality of life through relief of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual suffering. Communication is essential to facilitate shared decision-making and promote an empathetic relationship. Measures of isolation in care delivery pose challenges to communication, compromising contact and the quality of care provided. Objective: To explore the communication challenges resulting from the restrictions imposed by infection control in PC. Methodology: A narrative review was conducted to obtain an interpretative synthesis and a comprehensive perspective on the topic under analysis. The research was carried out in the PubMed, Scopus, Scielo, and Cochrane Library databases, using the terms «Palliative Care,» «Communication,» «Health Communication,» «Videoconferencing,» «Infection Control,» «Quality of Healthcare,» and their combinations. The search was limited to studies involving individuals over 18 years of age and in Portuguese, English, and Spanish languages. Results: Eight articles were included in the study, and after data analysis in light of Hildegard Peplau’s Theory of Interpersonal Relations, four categories were defined that reflect the challenges and communication strategies in PC: Barriers to face-to-face communication in PC, Adapted communication strategies, Effectiveness of virtual vs. face-to-face communication, and Impact of communication on care quality. Discussion of Results: This study highlights the importance of empathetic communication, indicating that digital technologies, although useful, do not replace the necessary physical contact. The lack of proximity affected the quality of care, and inequalities in access to technology exacerbated the situation. It is necessary to balance the use of technology with the humanization of care, ensuring continuous professional training to maintain quality in service delivery. Conclusion: This study provided an understanding of the impact of isolation and infection control measures on communication and care provision in PC, highlighting the role of emerging technologies and new interaction dynamics in mitigating these challenges. It is important to note, as a limitation of this study, that the use of a narrative review, while allowing for an interpretative and contextualized view, does not enable an exhaustive analysis of the available literature.
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