Knowledge of palliative care from the view of doctors residents of a tertiary hospital in Recife-PE

There is evidence that a deficit in palliative care education causes negative consequences for doctors and patients. In this way, the knowledge about palliative care of doctors in residency programs at Hospital Agamenon Magalhães (HAM) in Recife-PE and the sociodemographic characteristics of this population were evaluated. The study was cross-sectional and observational carried out with doctors enrolled in HAM residencies. Fifty residents were evaluated, aged between 24 and 40 years old, the majority of whom were female. Among residents, 48% reported not having received training in palliative care. Only 38% reported being confident in caring for end-of-life patients and none of the residents considered their knowledge appropriate. However, 56% of these reported feeling confident in managing pain in terminally ill patients and 78% had contact with such patients, but the minority considered the management satisfactory. The research reflects the scarcity of spaces for debate about palliative care in medical training.