Hospice Care (HC) is given to patients out of therapeutic possibilities of cure, focusing on symptoms control and life quality. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) is an instrument to assess and monitor nine physical and psychological symptoms in patients in HC. The study aims to perform an integrative review on the assessment of health professionals and/or patients regarding the use of ESAS in cancer patients in Hospice Care. Eight papers have been localized at Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) between 1998 and 2009. The results displayed that although there are few studies on this topic, the ESAS is a valid instrument to detect and monitor symptoms in HC, presenting some limitations. The results led to the importance of the study continuity in translation and cross-cultural adaptation of this scale to Brazilian Portuguese.
Hospice care; Scales; Terminal care
