SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL PROFILE OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO THE PALLIATIVE CARE TEAM

Objective: to identify the sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients in the first consultation with the Palliative Care team. Method: a cross-sectional study, developed with patients who attended their first consultation with the Palliative Care team. A form with sociodemographic and clinical variables and the Brazilian version of the Palliative Performance Scale and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale were used. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were adopted. Results: the majority of participants were female, with an average age of 66.6 years, with an oncological diagnosis, who had metastases and low functional performance, and who had previously undergone chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or surgery. Conclusion: patients referred for the first consultation with the outpatient Palliative Care team were characterized by low functional capacity.