Conference Sessions
Focuses on new techniques and protocols to assess, manage, and alleviate pain and other distressing symptoms in patients with serious illnesses.
Topics include:
Multimodal analgesia, Opioid stewardship, Neuropathic pain treatments, Non-pharmacologic interventions (e.g., mindfulness, acupuncture), Personalized symptom management plans.
Explores the role of early palliative care in cancer treatment to improve quality of life, communication, and care coordination alongside curative therapies.
Key areas covered:
Early intervention models, Communication strategies for prognosis, Pain and symptom control in cancer patients, Emotional and spiritual support, Enhancing patient autonomy.
Addresses the unique palliative care needs of patients living with chronic cardiac and pulmonary conditions, focusing on long-term symptom management and goals-of-care discussions.
Discussion points:
Breathlessness and fatigue control, Prognostic uncertainty, Advance care planning, Multidisciplinary care models, Support for caregivers and families.
Highlights practical strategies for recognizing and addressing common and distressing symptoms such as delirium, fatigue, and nausea in seriously ill patients.
Covered topics:
Delirium assessment tools, Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments, Fatigue in advanced disease, Managing nausea and vomiting, Interdisciplinary interventions.
Examines the controlled use of sedation in end-of-life care to relieve intractable suffering, focusing on clinical criteria, ethical frameworks, and best practices.
Key discussion points:
Indications for palliative sedation, Differentiating sedation from euthanasia, Communication with families, Ethical considerations and cultural perspectives, Monitoring and documentation.
Focuses on recognizing and responding to the emotional and psychological impact of loss on patients, families, and care providers throughout the palliative journey.
Topics include:
Normal vs. complicated grief, Grief counseling techniques, Cultural considerations, Support groups and community resources, Staff grief and burnout support.
Addresses the spiritual and existential dimensions of serious illness, including how to identify distress and provide appropriate, patient-centered support.
Covered themes:
Assessing spiritual needs, Interventions for existential suffering, Role of chaplains and faith leaders, Meaning-centered care, Cultural and religious sensitivity.
Explores the integration of mental health care in palliative settings, focusing on early detection and management of conditions like depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders.
Included topics:
Psychological assessment tools, Psychotherapy and pharmacologic approaches, Supporting caregivers’ mental health, Interdisciplinary mental health collaboration, Stigma and access issues.
Highlights the importance of collaboration among healthcare professionals to deliver holistic, coordinated care tailored to the patient’s needs and goals.
Focus areas:
Roles of different team members, Communication and decision-making frameworks, Conflict resolution in teams, Building team resilience and trust, Integrated care planning.
Focuses on developing effective and compassionate communication strategies for discussing diagnosis, prognosis, goals of care, and end-of-life decisions with patients and families.
Key skills taught:
Delivering bad news, Discussing code status and advance directives, Navigating emotional reactions, Shared decision-making, Building trust and rapport.
Explores complex ethical issues commonly encountered in palliative and end-of-life care, emphasizing frameworks for ethical reasoning and shared decision-making.
Topics include:
Autonomy vs. beneficence, Withholding and withdrawing treatment, Medical futility, Family conflict and disagreement, Legal implications and professional responsibilities.
Addresses the emotional and psychological toll of working in palliative care and explores practical approaches to fostering resilience, well-being, and professional sustainability.
Covered content:
Recognizing signs of burnout, Mindfulness and self-care strategies, Peer support and supervision, Organizational interventions, Maintaining purpose and compassion.
Focuses on delivering effective palliative care in settings with limited access to medications, equipment, or trained personnel, using adaptable and community-centered approaches.
Key focus areas:
Resource optimization, Community-based care models, Training non-specialist providers, Use of essential medications, Policy and advocacy for equitable access.
Emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive care practices that honor diverse values, beliefs, and traditions surrounding illness, dying, and death.
Topics include:
Cultural humility and competence, Communication across cultural differences, Religious beliefs and rituals, Family roles and decision-making, Avoiding cultural bias in care.
Examines approaches for delivering palliative care in patients’ homes, offering personalized, cost-effective care that improves comfort and reduces hospitalizations.
Key components:
Home visits by interdisciplinary teams, Remote monitoring and symptom tracking, Family caregiver training, Crisis intervention protocols, Integration with hospice services.
Highlights emerging evidence and innovations in palliative care practice, including new interventions, outcomes research, and data-driven care models.
Featured research topics:
Symptom burden trends, Palliative care impact on survival and quality of life, Pharmacologic advances, Global and regional studies, Patient-reported outcomes.
Discusses the role of public health policy in shaping access to palliative care services globally, with a focus on legislation, funding, and advocacy.
Key areas of focus:
National palliative care strategies, Insurance coverage and reimbursement, Legal rights and protections, Policy barriers and solutions, International models of care.
Explores how digital tools and telemedicine are transforming palliative care delivery, improving accessibility, communication, and continuity of care.
Covered innovations:
Virtual consultations, Remote symptom monitoring, Digital advance care planning tools, Mobile apps for patient education, Data analytics for care optimization.
