Early integration of palliative care in patients with heart failure: a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59464/2359-4632.2026.4200Keywords:
Palliative Care, Quality of Life, Heart Failure, Shared Decision MakingAbstract
Objective: To analyze the effects of the early integration of palliative care in patients with heart failure. Methods: This systematic review was conducted using the PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), and SciELO databases, with searches performed in 2025 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the PICO strategy. Studies published between 2021 and 2025 were included after applying the eligibility criteria, resulting in a final sample of seven articles. The analyzed outcomes included quality of life, physical and emotional symptoms, anxiety, depression, self-care, sleep quality, cardiac function, participation in therapeutic decision-making, and satisfaction with care. Data were analyzed descriptively and comparatively. Results: Early integration of palliative care was associated with improved quality of life, reduced physical and psychological symptoms, lower levels of anxiety and depression, enhanced patient autonomy, greater participation in shared decision-making, improved self-care, better sleep quality, improved cardiac function, and greater satisfaction with the care received. Challenges related to the definition of clinical referral criteria and the standardization of this approach were also identified. Conclusion: Early integration of palliative care provides significant clinical and psychosocial benefits for patients with heart failure, reinforcing the need to establish standardized eligibility criteria and care protocols to facilitate its early implementation in clinical practice.
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