What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families facing serious illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.
Palliative care is an essential component of comprehensive health services for NCDs. In 2014, the first ever global resolution on palliative care, World Health Assembly resolution WHA67.19, called upon WHO and Member States to improve access to palliative care as a core component of health systems, with an emphasis on primary health care and community/home-based care.
What is the aim of this ECHO group?
ECHO stands for Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes. This tele-mentoring platform offers an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through a virtual learning group, that will connect interdisciplinary providers across the Caribbean with palliative care specialists on a monthly basis. Participants will learn from short didactic presentations delivered by palliative care specialists, followed by the opportunity to present their own de-identified case presentations for discussion, with the aim to improve understanding and knowledge of palliative care.
Why join this Palliative Care ECHO group?
Access to palliative care improves the quality of life of patients with serious illness and has been declared a human right by the World Health Organization. Despite this, most patients across the Caribbean still do not have access to essential palliative care services. Regular participation in these monthly ECHO sessions will enable front-line providers to enhance their skills in symptom management, psychosocial support, and communication with patients and families facing serious illness—as well as to provide a sense of community between providers across the region in order to enhance resiliency and decrease burnout.
Who can join?
Any allied health professional is welcome to attend, including but not exclusive to physicians (primary care or specialists), nurses, community health workers, pharmacists, social workers, chaplains, or physical therapists, in the Caribbean Region.
Register to join ECHO
The Palliative Care in the Caribbean ECHO meets every month.
Next session will be on Tuesday, 8th February 2022