Every
second year we will organise our major interdisciplinary
international conference, which in all practical
terms is "The World Congress of Palliative
Care". The research congress, which we now
have defined rather as a forum with a limited number
of participants, focus only on research in palliative
care. This is done in order to prevent a competition
between the two events.
We
have developed a structure of Task Forces (click
for more information) with the aim to actively support
work on focused subjects for a limited amount of
time and for all interested members to join in.
For the time being the following main themes are:
Ethics (Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide),
Standards in palliative care, Education (both nursing,
medical and interdisciplinary), Elderly and palliative
care and Development of palliative care in Eastern
Europe. The EAPC Research Network is active in development
of review papers and lately to conduct empirical
studies. In its last meeting the EAPC Board of Directors
decided to also to facilitate/promote initiatives
for Palliative Care for Children.
The
European Journal of Palliative Care (EJPC) is our
official since 1994 and well acknowledged by our
members, and also non-members. We are given more
attention lately to improve communication with our
members by mean of a continuous update of our web
site. Finally, EAPC have formalised a collaboration
with Palliative Medicine, the leading journal in
palliative care in Europe. The journal has become
the official research journal of EAPC, while EJPC
remains the official journal of our organisation.
Funding
for professional development in palliative care
and research is crucial. EU is the main resource
for such funds. During our last Board meeting in
January this year it was decided to allocate resources
in order to make palliative care more visible in
the base documents of EU, which give directions
for support in the future projects.
Being
responsible for these and many other initiatives
in EAPC I have decided to stand for re-election
for a new period of four years. I will commit myself
to continue the work within the direction given
by the sitting Board and hopefully within the new
Board of Directors.
Some
of my priorities will be (in a none ranged order):
