Aproximación etnográfica a la toma de decisiones médicas y protocolo de fin de vida

: Una mirada desde el ejercicio y la formación en geriatría en una unidad de geriatría de la ciudad de Bogotá

Abstract

This study explores the scenario of decision-making regarding the inclusion or not of a patient in the end-of-life protocol in a geriatric unit in the city of Bogotá. It is an approximation from qualitative research, specifically ethnographic, that accounts for the realities as they are lived, in this case in the hospital context. The focus of the work is given from the perspective of the medical staff of the unit, made up of geriatricians and geriatric residents. Ethnographic tools such as informal interviews, focus groups, and participant and non-participant observation by an interdisciplinary team were used. The analyzed information reflects a complex scenario, with diverse actors involved, whose knowledge, beliefs and experiences, as well as the relationships they establish with other actors, with their environment and their own emotions affect the way these decisions are made. The role played by geriatric training in the perception of death and the role of the doctor is highlighted, which generates a turning point in the position assumed in the face of this decision-making.

Date of Award	14 May 2020
Original language	Spanish
Awarding Institution	Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Supervisor	Ana María Medina Ch. (Advisor)