INTEGRATION OF PALLIATIVE CARE INTO PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

Abstract

The integration of Palliative Care (PC) into Primary Health Care (PHC) seeks to expand access and ensure continuity of care for patients with life-threatening illnesses. This articulation promotes early, interdisciplinary, and humanized care, involving a multidisciplinary team and family, reducing suffering and psychosocial impact. However, it faces barriers such as a shortage of trained professionals, insufficient preparation in academic training, a curative culture, and a lack of clinical protocols. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the process of integrating palliative care into Primary Health Care, emphasizing its repercussions on the quality of care, challenges, ethical implications, and analyzing existing strategies for consolidating this practice within the scope of primary care. This study is a narrative literature review that analyzed evidence on the integration of palliative care into Primary Health Care, based on 191 articles in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, identified between 2020 and 2025, of which 30 met the inclusion criteria and comprised the corpus of the critical analysis. The analysis of the articles showed that palliative care in primary health care (PHC) is fundamental to promoting quality of life, dignity, and humanization of care, encompassing physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions. Despite advances and ongoing public policies, challenges persist, such as stigmas surrounding death that limit palliative care to terminal illness, scarcity of resources, structural fragility, work overload, and insufficient professional training. Successful experiences, such as home visits and telehealth, demonstrate the potential of PHC to identify eligible patients early and strengthen therapeutic bonds. Therefore, overcoming these barriers depends on continuing education, clear protocols, interdisciplinary action, and policies that consolidate equitable access to comprehensive and humanized care. In light of this, it is concluded that integrating palliative care into primary care is not merely a strategy for organizing services, but a concrete way to guarantee dignity, equity, and quality of life. Thus, this is a path that demonstrates progress in the field of public health and the consolidation of policies that support truly patient- and family-centered care.