International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care

International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care

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Promoting Hospice & Palliative Care Worldwide

 

2006; Volume 7, No 11, November

 
IAHPC

IAHPC NEWS ONLINE

Main Index:

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News Table of Contents

Message from the Chair and Executive Director
Kathy Foley, MD
Liliana De Lima, MHA

Article of the Month:
Dr. Ripamonti

Book Reviews:
Dr. Woodruff, MD

Traveling Scholar’s Reports

Regional Reports

Nursing and Palliative Care – A press release

Meetings

Announcement – a call for proposals

Webmaster’s Corner: Anne Laidlaw

Thank You Notes

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Travelling Fellow Reports

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IAHPC Newsletter Team

William Farr,
PhD, MD
Editor

Liliana De Lima, MHA
Coordinator

Alou Design/Webmaster
Layout and Distribution

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IAHPC TRAVELING SCHOLAR'S REPORTS

Clinical Fellowship in Palliative Care of cancer patients at the Department of Palliative care, Michael Sobell House, UK
September – October, 2006
Mohamed Soliman Nazmy, MD
Clinical Oncologist
NCI and Minia Oncology Center, Egypt

The International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care sponsored me to spend a period of clinical attachment at the Michael Sobell House (MSH) of palliative care in Mount Vernon Hospital, London, UK under the supervision of Dr Humaira Jamal, Consultant in Palliative Medicine.

The aim of my visit was to obtain a first hand experience and training in the different aspects of a palliative care organization and to explore the best ways to optimize our service in Egypt . Since MSH organizes a number of educational activities for clinicians in practice, I was also able to participate in many of these activities such as: Communication Skills (Essential & Difficult Conversations), Ethical Issues, Monthly Palliative Care Symposia’s, Principles of Palliative Care (with the University of Hertfordshire), Pain & Symptom Management (with the University of Hertfordshire), Care at the End of Life, Management of common symptoms and cancers, Syringe Driver Training, TENS Machine Training, Health Care Assistant Study Days, Volunteer Training, Action Learning, Journal Clubs & Reflection On Practice Sets.

During my stay, I had the opportunity to have direct exposure to the various palliative care services they offer. I spent time in their inpatient unit and day care center; I attended multidisciplinary meetings & journal clubs; I visited cancer centers; I spent time with the coordinator of the outreach team to gain experience about giving palliative care services to patients in their homes; I had the opportunity to visit with the Volunteer Co-coordinator and learn about the organization of their effort to help patients at the end of life; and finally, not to be overlooked, I observed the efforts of social workers to provide help to the patients.

Although not all their services are applicable to our practice in Egypt because of the differences in our two cultures, it was very useful to get these experiences as we attempt to optimize our services at home.

In addition to all of the aforementioned experiences in medical management, I was also able get further training in the various types of managements that are not commonly practiced in my country, such as complementary therapy ( Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Reiki) and art therapy. Also, I had the opportunity to learn about the use of medical equipment to help patient’s move during nursing care.

Although palliative management is considered an integral part of our management of cancer patients, the opportunity to actually visit a functioning center is much better than reading hundreds books on palliative care. I am sure that this visit will influence the future management of our patients and will guide us during the establishment of our own palliative care unit.

Everyone was very friendly, cooperative and very helpful to me. Finally, I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to all members of MSH team, especially Dr Humaira Jamal, Consultant palliative care, and Deborah Potter Office, manager, and Pam Wright, senior ward sister. My sincerest thanks to the IAHPC for sponsoring me for this visit and a special thanks to Liliana De Lima, IAHPC Executive Director, for all her help.

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Palliative Care and HIV/AIDS: Impressions from the XVI International AIDS Conference

13-18 August 2006, Toronto
Craig D. Blinderman, MD, MA
Attending Physician, Palliative Care Service,
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Thanks to a traveling scholarship granted me by the IAHPC, I was able to attend the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto.

This year’s conference provided an opportunity for the many voices of palliative care from around the globe to be heard. Indeed, there seems to be a realization that palliative care and the medical treatment of persons with HIV/AIDS are not separate approaches, but rather are part of the holistic care of the patient and community and should be provided together, where possible.

The Open Society Institute sponsored a variety of presentations and even compiled a program list of “Palliative Care Events” that were taking place at this year’s AIDS Conference. The following topics were discussed, reflecting the international community’s commitment to integrating palliative care concepts with the treatment of HIV/AIDS:

  • psychosocial well-being in children affected by AIDS,
  • treatment of depression in persons with HIV,
  • community-led initiatives to provide social support to persons with HIV,
  • palliative care and HIV/AIDS in resource constrained settings,
  • the role of nurses and a holistic model of care in developing countries and in resource limited settings
  • a focus on quality of life and palliative care initiatives for HIV/AIDS patients in Uganda, Zambia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Tanzania
  • “Models of Care and HIV: Treatment of the Whole Person,” which was organized by Help the Hospice and Casey House, and featured presentations on the prevalence of pain in HIV/AIDS patients in Vietnam, palliative care initiatives in the former Soviet Union, novel approaches to palliative care in Africa, and a multi-disciplinary approach to caring for HIV patients in Canada.  

In addition, a number of posters were on display again highlighting the importance (and impact) of palliative care in patients and communities suffering from HIV/AIDS.

The International AIDS Conference, while being globally, culturally and religiously diverse, is a forum of advocacy, academics, and humanity. The presence of the IAHPC at the next International AIDS Conference would be a welcome addition and would likely help in integrating palliative medicine concepts into the total care of persons with HIV/AIDS throughout the world.

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