2014_01_30_ICS_The biggest challenge for palliative care is for it to be recognized as discipline and for it to be taught in universities

"The greatest challenge of palliative care is for it to be recognized as discipline and for it to be taught in universities". This was stated at the University of Navarra by Deborah Bolognesi, from the Accademia delle Scienze di Medicina Palliativa (Bologna, Italy). The specialist made a stay of work with the team of the project ATLANTES team at Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), of which she is a collaborator.

In Bolognesi's opinion, another of the current challenges consists of "opening up to patients other than oncology patients, on whom palliative care has focused since its origin, such as those suffering from neurological pathologies or heart disease. The Italian expert pointed out that this would help "its implementation as a support service for earlier phases of the disease, not only as end-of-life care.

A service for people

The expert also stated that palliative care "should be understood as a service for people, both for the patients and their families and for the rest of society".

Deborah Bolognesi explained that at the Accademia delle Scienze di Medicina Palliativa they carry out research focused on social health and issues of Education: "At the moment we are carrying out a project with high school students and another one on the treatment of foreign patients in care hospitals, for which we have contacted all the hospital centers in the region".

She is also in charge of other projects at the Isabella Seràgnoli Foundation. For two years, the organization has been working to set up a children's care hospital. It will be the first institution of this subject and will follow the protocols of the United Kingdom and Canada, as they are leading countries in the field of palliative care.