Résumés
Abstract
Continuous palliative sedation is an end-of-life practice that consists of inducing a state of unconsciousness in patients who are approaching death to relieve them of severe and refractory symptoms. The Act Respecting End-of-life Care has provided a framework for continuous palliative sedation in the Canadian province of Quebec since 2015. Understanding the general population’s complex attitudes, and knowledge and representations with respect to continuous palliative sedation can contribute to more informed end-of-life care decision-making. Social workers play a crucial role in promoting and implementing enlightened end-of-life choices. The aim of this paper is to explore the general population’s attitude, knowledge and representations with regard to continuous palliative sedation. We used a pragmatic methodology, seeking to explore a real-life knowledge gap while considering resource and time constraints. Two research team members independently selected related studies and extracted their content. We included eight articles involving a total of 18,961 participants. Participants with a positive attitude towards continuous palliative sedation represented 25% to 81% of the study populations. Attitude seems positively affected by the use of euphemisms (i.e. sleep) to describe the intervention. The term “continuous palliative sedation” is unfamiliar to most and is often confused with euthanasia. In the discussion, we offer recommendations for social workers when accompanying patients and families in making end-of-life decisions.
Keywords:
- Continuous palliative sedation,
- palliative care,
- end-of-life care,
- informed decision-making,
- general population
Résumé
La sédation palliative continue est une pratique de fin de vie consistant à induire un état d’inconscience pour soulager les patients approchant la mort de symptômes sévères et réfractaires. La Loi concernant les soins de fin de vie encadre la sédation palliative continue dans la province canadienne du Québec depuis 2015. Comprendre l’attitude, les connaissances et les représentations complexes et multiples de la population générale concernant la sédation palliative continue permet de promouvoir des décisions plus éclairées concernant les soins de fin de vie. Les travailleurs sociaux jouent un rôle crucial dans la promotion et l’actualisation de choix éclairés en fin de vie. L’objectif de cet article est donc d’explorer l’attitude, les connaissances et les représentations de la population générale à l’égard de la sédation palliative continue. Nous avons utilisé une méthodologie pragmatique, visant à combler un manque dans les connaissances avec des contraintes de ressources et de temps. Deux membres de l’équipe ont indépendamment sélectionné les articles et extrait le contenu. Nous avons inclus huit articles couvrant un total de 18 961 participants. Vingt-cinq pour cent (25) à 81 % des répondants avaient une attitude positive envers la sédation palliative continue. L’attitude semble affectée positivement par l’utilisation d’euphémismes (ex. sommeil) pour décrire l’intervention. Le terme sédation palliative continue n’est pas familier à la plupart des gens et est souvent confondu avec euthanasie. En discussion, nous offrons des recommandations aux travailleurs sociaux afin d’accompagner les patients et les familles lors des décisions de fin de vie.
Mots-clés :
- Sédation palliative continue,
- soins palliatifs,
- soins de fin de vie,
- prise de décision éclairée,
- population générale
Parties annexes
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