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Not to be forgotten. Care of Vulnerable Canadians – Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care 2011

I -The Context: The Health Care System and the Care of Vulnerable Persons s. 23

Palliative care is based on patient-centred, family-focused, and community-based care of the ‘whole person.’ This philosophy of care already present in programs across Canada looks at the physical, psycho-social, information and spiritual needs of patients, and their families or support networks. Palliative care is, therefore, the chosen example for this committee of what is possible to address the needs of all patients in Canada, in all settings, regardless of their health care needs. This is especially true for our most vulnerable patients: those who have a terminal or life threatening condition, our elders who are too frequently abused physically and emotionally, our citizens with disabilities and those who are suicidal.

Palliative care is not only the best model for caring for vulnerable and dying Canadians; it also embodies truths that could be transformative of our whole health care culture.

III – Palliative Care and an Integrated Care System s. 26

The health care system would experience significant benefits through the implementation of an integrated continuing care system. This would include a commitment to provide, person-centred, family-focused, community-based, philosophy in an all encompassing vision of health care. Canadian palliative care programs provide a fine model for this care revolution. Palliative care principles must transform the ethos of the entire system, become the root of all care provided in acute, chronic and ongoing care. Once you don’t need to be dying to get excellent care, then palliative care philosophy will become the health and social care norm, not the poor orphaned cousin.

Knowledge Translation and Capacity Building s. 35

“Knowledge transfer is moving knowledge into practice. Evidence informed decision making, sounds reasonable and simple enough, yet policies and practices in the health system often lag well behind discovery, or do not take evidence into account in decision making.”38 Knowledge gained through research needs to be translated into the practice of palliative care professionals; as well as into information for patients, families and volunteers. Knowledge translation is focused education. To this end we salute exemplary programs such as the Pallium project and the Canadian Virtual Hospice, as providing knowledge translation, education, and vital information, in a way that is both innovative, and cost effective.

The Pallium project

The Pallium project began in 2001 creating innovative educational resources on Palliative care delivery, for remote and rural health care professionals. One of the earliest inter-professional educational initiatives in the country, Pallium sought to build capacity, by providing rural health providers with the tools they needed to build up community palliative care programs. The Pallium project utilizes the most advanced forms of communication technology, doing pioneering work with e-learning, utilizing pod–cast technology, as well as the tried and true hands on approach, through training seminars in remote and rural communities. Materials were developed through extensive collaboration with a wide ranging and interdisciplinary group of palliative care experts.