Antea Worldwide Palliative Care Conference

Rome, 12-14 November 2008

ABSTRACT FORM

Presenting author PALLIATIVE CARE EDUCATION IN AUSTRIA

Elisabeth Medicus
Email:
e.medicus@dibk.at
Phone
Mobile phone
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abstract
• Pain and other symptoms
• Palliative care for cancer patients
• Palliative care for non cancer
patients
• Paediatric palliative care
• Palliative care for the elderly
• The actors of palliative care
• Latest on drugs
• Pain
• Illness and suffering through
media
• Marginalisation and social stigma
at the end of life
• Palliative care advocacy projects
Authors (max 6, presenting author included): Elisabeth Medicus
In Austria, palliative care in undergraduate education is established at nursing schools, but there
is a lack of dedicated and capable teachers.
Palliative care has not yet been established at medical schools, where it is only an optional
subject. Its further development needs persons committed to palliative care inside the university
system.
There has been a three-step training for some years for health care professionals in specialised
palliative care, leading to the title of a “Master of Advanced Studies of Palliative Care” and
integrating education for leadership and organisational changes. Each step consists of 160 hours
theoretical and 40 hours of practical training. Interdisciplinary are the first and the third steps,
the second step is either for nurses or physicians or for members of the psychosocial staff.
The first step of this training is required of all professionals working in the specialised palliative
care field. This standard is defined in the National Hospice and Palliative Care Plan for Structure
Quality and applied in the whole country. For these courses, there is a need for evaluation and
improvement of training and curricula on a national and international level, since their
effectiveness very much depends on the practical involvement of individuals in the subject.
For volunteers, there is a nationwide curriculum, consisting of 70 hours plus 40 hours of practical
training. These courses are well established but do sometimes raise false expectations for future
volunteers.
In Tyrol, we are trying to enhance palliative care education in residency programs in the rural
regions of Tyrol by tailoring curricula for a defined care system e.g. a nursing home.
The first interdisciplinary step of the three-step training mentioned above is also held in
Innsbruck. This course does not appeal to medical doctors because of its length and learning
styles.
Thus, for physicians, we organize 70 hour courses with an interdisciplinary part in
communication skills.

• Prognosis and diagnosis

communication in
different cultures
• Communication between doctor-
patient and patient-
equipe
• Religions and cultures versus
suffering, death and
bereavement
• Public institution in the world:
palliative care policies
and law
• Palliative care: from villages to metropolies

• Space, light and gardens for the terminally ill patient

• End-of-life ethics
• Complementary therapies Session: Palliative care – from villages to metropolies
• Education, training and research
• Fund-raising and no-profit Chair of the session: Dott. Laura Surdo, Dott. Faith m. Powell
• Bereavement support
• Volunteering in palliative care
• Rehabilitation in palliative care