Abstract
This paper presents a review of the literature on palliative care in a historical-conceptual perspective and in interface with public health policies of the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde – SUS).Palliative Care is an approach that promotes the quality of life of patients and their families who face illnesses that threaten the continuity of life, through prevention and relief of suffering. Palliative Care (CP) requires the early identification, evaluation and treatment of pain and other physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems. This work aims to provoke a reflection on the theme of CP, contributing to the study, deepening and dissemination of this theme in academic, professional and society environments in general. The methodology adopted was a non-systematized review of literature. The results point to the need and urgency of greater debates and theoretical constructions about CP, indicating that there is a great gap in the training of health professionals to work in CP and the need to expand services dedicated to CP is discussed. The spread of the subject contributes to the debate in the scope of public health policies and assists in the process of training and qualification of professionals to act with competence and respect to human dignity up to the last moments of the life of sick people.
Palliative Care; Humanization of Assistance; Patient Care Team; Right to Die