Palliative Care Teams – The Gatekeepers to integration with all Specialties to enhance patient’s quality of living and dying

The 4th International Palliative Medicine Conference takes place on 22 and 23 of November in the Radisson Hotel, Galway.  The conference which features 40 expert speakers from Ireland, UK, New Zealand and Australia is organised by Dr Dympna Waldron, Palliative Medicine Consultant, Galway University Hospitals and Clinical Lecturer NUI Galway.
 
Dr Waldron explains the significance and importance of the Cuisle Beatha Conference. She said, “At this conference we look at what we do in our daily practice and how we integrate with other specialities and translate that into education. This conference is not only about Palliative Care – it is about all specialities – that is what makes it such a unique and important educational meeting. The real buzz in research is the term from ‘bench to bedside’. We can bring this concept further to explore from home, from bedside, to intervention, to research.
 
“There may be a view that we in Palliative Medicine do not need to know about the application of other interventions but we do because if we do not have an awareness of procedures or interventions that can help our patients’ quality of living, then we may not consider referral to that speciality because of a lack of knowledge on our side, rather than whether the intervention is appropriate or not.  As Palliative Care is integrating earlier and earlier in the disease trajectory, then we as Palliative Care Specialists are ideally placed to be the ‘gatekeeper’ to appropriately refer patients for interventions that could really improve their quality of life.”
 
The first day of the conference explores all of what Palliative Care Teams see relative to Gastrointestinal Disease. On Saturday the ethical debate on ‘ventilation versus non-invasive ventilation (NIV)’ for patients with advanced motor neuron disease is examined. The conference is approved for CPD by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and An Bord Altranais. For further information and to register please go to www.cuislebeatha.ie or call 091 591222.
 
Photo Details:
Organiser of the 4th International Palliative Medicine Conference in Galway, Dr Dympna Waldron, Palliative Medicine Consultant, Galway University Hospitals and Clinical Lecturer NUI Galway.