Profile of the palliative care physician in Brazil

Mendes, Priscilla Biazibetti; Oliveira, José Ricardo de; Pereira, Alexandre de Araújo

doi:10.1590/1983-80422022304574EN

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Research • Rev. Bioét. 30 (4) • Oct-Dec 2022 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-80422022304574EN copy

Profile of the palliative care physician in Brazil

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Palliative care is a multidisciplinary health care model that seeks to provide comfort to patients with life-threatening or severe and terminal illness. Palliative medicine has only recently been recognized in Brazil, and it is essential that physicians working in this area develop their knowledge. Thus, to improve training models in palliative care and in medical education in Brazil, we must understand the characteristics of this professional, identifying sociodemographic profile, professional training, and work activity. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and exploratory study, with a quantitative approach. Data were collected from a national survey conducted by means of questionnaires applied to palliative care physicians in Brazil.

Palliative care; Palliative medicine; Professional training

	Degree in the field of practice
	Yes		No		General
Study variables	N	%	N	%	N	%
Age group
20 to 29 years	7	5.7	2	5.0	9	5.5
30 to 39 years	51	41.5	16	40.0	67	41.1
40 to 49 years	49	39.8	11	27.5	60	36.8
50 to 59 years	13	10.6	7	17.5	20	12.3
60 years or older	3	2.4	4	10.0	7	4.3
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0
Gender
Female	82	66.7	35	87.5	117	71.8
Male	41	33.3	5	12.5	46	28.2
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0
Marital status
Single	19	15.4	8	20.0	27	16.6
Married/Stable union	97	78.9	28	70.0	125	76.7
Divorced	7	5.7	3	7.5	10	6.1
Widowed	0	0.0	1	2.5	1	0.6
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0
In which region of Brazil were you born?
North	3	2.4	0	0.0	3	1.8
Northeast	26	21.2	3	7.5	29	17.8
Southeast	72	58.5	29	72.5	101	62.0
South	13	10.6	8	20.0	21	12.9
Midwest	9	7.3	0	0.0	9	5.5
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0
In which region of Brazil do you currently work professionally?
North	3	2.4	1	2.5	4	2.5
Northeast	18	14.6	3	7.5	21	12.9
Southeast	72	58.5	27	67.5	99	60.7
South	14	11.4	8	20.0	22	13.5
Midwest	16	13.0	1	2.5	17	10.4
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0
What is your personal monthly income?
Less than 5,000 reais	3	2.4	3	7.5	6	3.7
Between 5,001 and 10,000 reais	9	7.3	0	0.0	9	5.5
Between 10,001 and 15,000 reais	28	22.8	7	17.5	35	21.5
Between 15,001 and 20,000 reais	39	31.7	10	25.0	49	30.1
Between 20,001 and 30,000 reais	25	20.3	14	35.0	39	23.9
More than 30,000 reais	19	15.5	6	15.0	25	15.3
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0

Degree in the field of practice
	Yes		No		General
Study variables	N	%	N	%	n	%
Year of medical school completion
From 1978 to 1990	8	6.5	6	15.4	14	8.6
From 1991 to 2000	21	17.1	10	25.6	31	19.1
From 2001 to 2005	33	26.8	3	7.7	36	22.2
From 2006 to 2010	30	24.4	9	23.1	39	24.1
From 2011 to 2015	22	17.9	7	17.9	29	17.9
From 2016 to 2018	9	7.3	4	10.3	13	8.0
Total	123	100.0	39	100.0	162	100.0
Did you study medicine at a public or private university?
Public	75	61.0	13	32.5	88	54.0
Private	48	39.0	27	67.5	75	46.0
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0
In which year did you obtain the degree of palliative care physician?
From 1998 to 2010	2	1.7	──	──	2	1.7
From 2011 to 2013	13	10.7	──	──	13	10.7
From 2014 to 2017	46	38.0	──	──	46	38.0
From 2018 to 2021	60	49.6	──	──	60	49.6
Total	123	100.0	──	──	123	100.0
How did you obtain the degree of palliative care physician?
Degree awarded by the AMB for time of experience	10	8.1	──	──	10	8.1
Sufficiency Test by the AMB	77	62.6	──	──	77	62.6
Medical Residency in PM by CNRM	36	29.3	──	──	36	29.3
Total	123	100.0	──	──	123	100.0
How many years have you worked in palliative care?
From 1 to 2 years	16	13.1	14	35.0	30	18.5
From 3 to 5 years	19	15.6	11	27.5	30	18.5
From 6 to 10 years	51	41.8	6	15.0	57	35.2
From 11 to 15 years	22	18.0	6	15.0	28	17.3
From 16 to 25 years	14	11.5	1	2.5	15	9.3
More than 25 years	0	0.0	2	5.0	2	1.2
Total	122	100.0	40	100.0	162	100.0
During your medical studies, did you have contact with palliative care?
Yes	13	10.6	6	15.0	19	11.7
No	110	89.4	34	85.0	144	88.3
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0
During your medical residency/specialization in another area, did you have contact with palliative care?
Yes	79	64.2	19	47.5	98	60.1
No	44	35.8	21	52.5	65	39.9
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0

	Degree in the field of practice
	Yes		No		General
Study variables	N	%	N	%	N	%
Do you currently work as a palliative care physician?
Yes	117	95.1	31	77.5	148	90.8
No	6	4.9	9	22.5	15	9.2
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0
At what level of care do you work? (Only for those who currently work with PC)
Hospital	25	21.6	6	19.3	31	21.1
Outpatient clinic	3	2.6	1	3.2	4	2.7
Home Care	7	6.0	2	6.5	9	6.1
Hospital/outpatient clinic	18	15.5	8	25.8	26	17.7
Hospital/home care	14	12.1	6	19.4	20	13.6
Outpatient clinic/home care	8	6.9	1	3.2	9	6.1
Hospital/outpatient clinic/home care	41	35.3	7	22.6	48	32.7
Total	116	100.0	31	100.0	147	100.0
Do you have a multiprofessional team at your place of work as a palliative care physician? (Only for those who currently work with PC)
Yes	97	84.3	25	80.6	122	83.6
No	18	15.7	6	19.4	24	16.4
Total	115	100.0	31	100.0	146	100.0
In which sector do you work as a palliative care physician? (Only for those who currently work with PC)
Public	28	24.1	12	38.7	40	27.2
Private	30	25.9	10	32.3	40	27.2
Public and private	58	50.0	9	29.0	67	45.6
Total	116	100.0	31	100.0	147	100.0
What percentage of your current weekly workload do you devote to PC? (Only for those who currently work with PC)
100%	27	23.3	6	19.4	33	22.4
75%	25	21.6	7	22.6	32	21.8
50%	34	29.3	9	29.0	43	29.3
25% or less	30	25.9	9	29.0	39	26.5
Total	116	100.0	31	100.0	147	100.0
Do you work in PC teaching?
Yes	97	78.9	28	70.0	125	76.7
No	26	21.1	12	30.0	38	23.3
Total	123	100.0	40	100.0	163	100.0
At what level of education do you work?*	(n=97)	(n=28)	(n=125)
Undergraduate	38	39.2	13	46.4	51	40.8
Specialization (≥360 h)	29	29.9	7	25.0	36	28.8
Refresher (<360 h)	18	18.6	3	10.7	21	16.8
Medical residency	66	68.0	14	50.0	80	64.0
Others	16	16.5	5	17.9	21	16.8

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[1] Corresponding author: Priscilla Biazibetti Mendes – Rua Domingos Vieira 587, sala 1212, Santa Efigênia CEP 30150-240. Belo Horizonte/MG, Brasil.