Oncological palliative care and bereavement: A scope review

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article aimed to map the strategies and interventions used in Oncology Palliative Care for monitoring grief, identifying approaches that help family members and professionals in coping with loss. This is a scoping review, the stages of which followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist. The data search was carried out in four stages and conducted between September and October 2024, by two independent researchers, blinded to each other. To support the search strategy, the research question was developed based on the acronym Population, Concept, and Context. To identify relevant studies, the PubMed, SciELO, BVS, and Cochrane Library databases were consulted. It is concluded that the early introduction of palliative care is essential to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and their families, promoting relief from suffering and continuous psychosocial support. This study identified that a death perceived as dignified and without suffering contributes to a less traumatic grieving experience, positively impacting the adaptation of caregivers and family members.