The Development of Palliative Care in Argentina: A Mapping Study Using Latin American Association for Palliative Care Indicators

Abstract

Background: The Latin American Association for Palliative Care (ALCP) developed 10 indicators to monitor the development of palliative care. The indicators have been applied across Latin American countries but have not been used internally.

Objective: The aims of this study were to document the development of palliative care in Argentina at the national and provincial levels by using a selection of the indicators developed by the ALCP and identify the difficulties and needs of healthcare professionals working in palliative care. This is the first study to apply the indicators intranationally.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional pilot study based on two questionnaires with representatives from each province, one workshop, and telephone conversations to corroborate the collected data. These data were used to calculate a preselection of eight ALCP indicators covering four main areas of development: education, policy, service delivery, and medication. A total of 30 participants took part in the study.

Results: The application of the ALCP indicators at the province level led to the identification of inequalities in the development and distribution of services across the country. The provinces in the north-west were identified as the region with the greatest need for development. The main difficulties for healthcare professionals were lack of national service registries, certified palliative care specialties, and opportunities for continuous training.

Discussion: The ALCP indicators are useful tools for mapping palliative care development within countries. Further work needs to be carried out to increase their specificity and integrate them in policy design and service delivery.

Keywords: ALCP indicators; Argentina; mapping; palliative care.