Meanings of termination of life and palliative care for physicians

Abstract

This paper aimed to know the meaning of termination of life for physicians working at the Samuel Libanio University Hospital (HCSL) regarding oncologic patients. Through a qualitative and exploratory research, as well as methodological guidelines of the collective subject speech, 20 physicians who took care of oncologic patients were interviewed. It was observed that pain relief and life quality are extremely important in palliative care. These professionals understand that termination of life is just the physical death of a person, since there is something beyond the human living – the metaphysics of dying.