Nutritional discharge in an oncology palliative care center in Pará: patients’ and health professionals’ perceptions and instrument development

Abstract

Objective: To analyze patients’ and health professionals’ perceptions of nutritional discharge in an Oncology Palliative Care Center in Pará and to develop an instrument. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative study conducted at the Oncology Palliative Care Center in Pará, from April to November 2025, with patients (n=26) and healthcare professionals of the service (n=11). The analyses were performed using the IRAMUTEQ software, enabling classical textual statistical analyses, similarity analysis and word cloud. Results: Patients participated, mostly from the interior of Pará, with limited schooling and low family income. In the patients’ textual analysis, “eating” was the core of the discourse, associated with quality of life, comfort and everyday life, with references to the home (“home”), to regional foods (“açaí”, “fish”, “meat”) and to the relationship between eating and being “strong” or “weak”. Among professionals, the central axis was “patient”, with emphasis on guidance, safety, protocol, communication and team, recognizing family, culture and financial aspects as conditioning factors and “doubts/lack/demand” as barriers at discharge. Conclusion: The findings support that the instrument should be clear and standardized, favor multiprofessional communication/records, consider cultural adequacy and socioeconomic feasibility with family support.