Palliative care: The need for a palliative approach in the training of Veterinarians

Abstract

Introduction: The introduction of palliative care in veterinary medicine, although recent, is expanding due to the need to offer support to terminally ill patients. Its main objective is to care for patients for whom cure is not an option, providing comfort, pain relief, and symptom mitigation. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of undergraduate and graduate students in veterinary medicine about palliative care and at what point in their professional training contact with this topic occurred. Materials and methods: Observational research through an online form, prepared on the Google Forms platform, disseminated to the target audience through communication platforms from August 23, 2023, to April 10, 2024. Results and discussion: We obtained responses from 50 participants, divided into 50% undergraduate students, 18% undergraduate students in postgraduate/specialization courses, 16% graduates with postgraduate/specialization courses, and 16% graduates without postgraduate/specialization courses. Among the graduates, 36% had contact with the topic of palliative care in classes and improvements and 24% had no contact. Among the graduates, half had contact with the topic during their undergraduate studies and 62.5% during internships. Among the graduates taking postgraduate and postgraduate courses, only 29.4% had contact with the topic during their postgraduate studies. The participants' perception of the definition of palliative care is comprehensive, but with some inconsistencies. Conclusion: The results of the research highlighted a gap in academic training in palliative care, presenting a lack of information during undergraduate and postgraduate studies, with a consensus on the relevance of this care for specific patients and the need for its integration from the initial stages of training.