Dehospitalization in Cancer Care: a Debate about the Continuity of Family Care at Home

Abstract

Introduction: This paper aims to analyse the dehospitalization process in cancer care. Here, we understand “dehospitalization” as an act of continuity of care and health actions directed to patients in the scope of scheduling and effecting hospital discharge. Objective: To understand the dehospitalization process according to family caregivers of hospitalized patients, listing how the family and these caregivers are prepared to continue the care at home. Method: His is a descriptive, exploratory and qualitative research, carried out in a reference oncology hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro through the last six 2022 months and with the accessibility or convenience sample. The data collection was conducted by surveying the patients’ sociodemographic and clinical particulars, and also a semi-structured interview with relatives of hospitalized patients who has clinical indication for hospital discharge and required referral to the health services nerwork for continuity of care at home. The data analysis is the dialectical hermeneutics, based on dialectical materialism. Results/discussion: Two meaning units was found. The first is called “Planning and Management of Care in the Dehospitalization Care” and, as a challange to the health’s team and service, signs the need to direct integrated actions and management, that pressuposes the articulation with local health assistance and different sectors of health system. The second unit is “Impacts of Cancer Treatment in Home Care”, that indicates the fragility of health services in face of patients. Conclusion: The importance of recognition by the health team was highlighted, that the effectiveness of dehospitalization will depend on a joint multidisciplinary and intersectoral action, in a network and in an organized way.