Validation of a Tool for the Assessment of Discomfort in Patients With Impaired Cognition in Palliative Care

José António Ferraz-Gonçalves, Ana Marques, Ana R Oliveira, Filipa Morais Ribeiro, Graça Lopes, Hugo M Oliveira, Ofélia Godinho, Maria do Céu Rocha, Mariana Esteves, Rita Guedes, Rita S Xavier, Sofia Marques da Silva, Teresa Soares Costa, Faculty of Medicine, Porto University, Palliative Care Unit, Matosinhos Local Health Unit, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto , University of Porto, Serviço de Epidemiologia, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto FG, Grupo de Investigação em Epidemiologia, Economia e Gestão em Oncologia-Centro de Investigação , Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center , Rede de Investigação em Saúde, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto FG, Internal Medicine Department, Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Local Health Unit, Hospital de Vila Real, Medicina Interna, Médio Ave Local Health Unit- Hospital de Famalicão, Internal Medicine, Matosinhos Local Health Unit, Hospital Pedro Hispano

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®

Published online on October 31, 2025

Abstract

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Ahead of Print.
BackgroundIdeally, patients should self-report their symptoms. However, when this is not possible due to cognitive impairment, discomfort must be assessed through observation of the patient’s behavior. To the best of our knowledge, there are no tools for ...