Palliative Care in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A View of Comprehensive Care

Abstract

Objective: Discuss through a literature review about the need for palliative care for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Method: An integrative literature review was adopted, since it contributes to the process of systematization and analysis of results, aiming at the understanding of a certain topic, based on other independent studies. This is a study with a qualitative approach, to identify productions on the topic of palliative care in patients with ALS. Results: The involvement of palliative care clinics composed of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, speech therapists, psychologists and nutritionists promote programmed and continuous actions that can increase survival and improve comfort at the end of life in ALS. The integration of palliative care into health systems benefits the user by increasing access to this care and can also strengthen health systems, as it results in benefits that spread and improve the quality of care. Final Considerations: The care of ALS patients is complex, however, as the disease burden increases, access to these specialist clinics can become difficult or impossible for the patient. Understanding the current multidisciplinary team paradigm to include collaborations with local providers, including palliative care physicians and allied healthcare providers, can ensure that patient needs are met throughout the course of illness, especially during terminal illness.