Welcome to the International Telehealth Palliative Care Symposium Website
Palliative care is care of the mind, body and spirit of someone diagnosed with chronic dieases like cancer. Palliative care is the medical specialty focused on improving the quality of life of people facing serious illness. Emphasis is placed on pain and symptom management, communication and coordinated care. Palliative care is appropriate from the time of diagnosis and can be provided along with curative treatment.
The Telehealth Palliative Care Symposium provides palliative care training and resouces to healthcare professionals in rural and urban communities worldwide.
- We have not been able to identify enough funding to offer a 3rd International Telehealth Palliative Care Symposium this spring. However, we are hoping to offer a symposium in fall 2011, or spring 2012. Please check back for updates.
- Presentation videos from the all three days of the 2010 symposium have been uploaded and are accessable by creating a log in account or using your exisitng account from the symposium registration.
We all have the same wish that all people on a disease journey have care, comfort and choices. By joining together to share knowledge, ideas, skills and experiences we can make that wish a reality.
Christine A. DeCourtney
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Palliative care is in the news in many publications. Here are some links to recent articles in the U.S. that are important as we move our palliative care work forward:
- American Cancer Society, Dr. Len's Cancer Blog, August 20, 2010, The Unexpected Benefits of Palliative Care, by J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, MACP
- The New York Times, August 24, 2010 Frank Talk About Care at Life's End by Jane Brody
- USA Today, August 19, 2010, Palliative Care Can Help Patients Live Longer, by Liz Szabo
- Medscape Today, August 19, 2010, Palliative Care Improved Survival in NSCLC; Study Challenges Current Approaches, by Zosia Chustecka (subscription required)
- Boston Globe, August 19, 2010, Cancer strategy: Easing the burden, by Stephen Smith
- The Washington Post, August 18, 2010, Study shows value of quality-of-life cancer care, by Marilynn Marchione
- The Wall Street Journal, August 18, 2010, Study: Advanced Cancer Patients Receiving Early Palliative Care Lived Longer, by Katherine Hobson
- The New York Times, August 18, 2010 Palliative Care Extends Life, Study Finds, by Donald G. McNeil, Jr.
- Palliative Care - A Paradigm Shift by Diane E. Meier, MD and Amy S. Kelly, MD
- Letting Go, What should medicine do when it can't save your life? by Atul Gawande, MD
- Video Interview with NEJM study authors, Jennifer Temel, MD, and Victoria Jackson, MD, MPH
The 2010 Palliative Care Sympoisum was presented by:
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
British Columbia Cancer Agency
Fort Defiance Hospital, Arizona
Institut Catala' d'Oncologia, Barcelona, Spain
Lakehead University, Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health (CERAH)
Mayo Cancer Center Native American Programs
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
NANA Regional Corporation / Aqqaluk Trust
Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
Providence Alaska Medical Center Palliatve Care Program
State of Alaska Comprehensive Cancer Program
University of Anchorage Alaska - Alaska Geriatric Education Center
University of Auckland – Goodfellow Unit, School of Population Health
University of New Mexico School of Medicine - Palliative Care Section
Here are what some of the 2010 participants
had to say about the Symposium:
"Good day. It is 4:55AM here Philippine time, 12:55AM Alaska time. Again, I would just like to update you as to my browsing of today's activity. What amazed me the most today was the sharing of the song and dance at the beginning of the presentation; It is really amazing to see the preservation of your culture, and a rich culture at that. Quoting what Dr. Cardinal said, and which you put in your main website, 'In 5 years we'll look back and realize that we were part of the early effort to communicate in this manner.' Everything went fine, with some gaps that are minimal. Again, thank you for the opportunity, I do hope to be part of other future symposia. My hats off to the organizers, speakers and participants."- Dr. Oliver Theodore I. Tolentino Quezon City, Philippines
"Thanks SO MUCH for the fabulous 3-days! I did have difficulties with 2 lectures the first day, but the couple minutes I missed I can find online later just as I did with the first days." - Rural Interior Alaskan Participant
"The course was excellent and I plan to attend each year via webcast." - Rural Southeast Alaskan Participant
"Just wanted to let you know that I've heard lots of positive comments about the symposium from the (NW) Ontario video conference participants, Thanks for involving us in this event and kudos to the organizers!" - Ontario Canada Conferance Coordinator
"To all involved in the organization of symposium, we want to say thank you from Cyprus and for enabling us to be involved this year. It is such an amazing experience to listen to experts from all around the world, while sitting in your own home." - Cyprus Participant
