June 4, 2026
How to Advance Palliative Care in Institutions: 2 examples
IAHPC’s Advancing Palliative Care in Healthcare Settings seminar in May was a pilot project to assess how to motivate institutions to include all components of the Essential Palliative Care Packages for Adults and Children. Participants were asked to share their institution’s availability of the medicines, human resources, and equipment listed in the appropriate package. Then, they were asked to develop an action plan to improve access to these essentials.
Plotting Out Solutions: Taking it step by step
Photo used with permission.
“It was interesting to learn about and apply the palliative care essential package assessment tool to my local context,” said Professor Mabel Carrillo of Colombia. “I quickly and easily performed an institutional assessment to guide an action plan with realistic objectives aligned with the goal of improving palliative care, which serves as the roadmap for resolving problems.”
Roadmaps for a pair of improvements
One problem she identified is that while paracetamol/acetaminophen is available for dispensing in hospitals, it is rarely prescribed in internal medicine departments, including where palliative care is practised. According to her action plan, Carrillo decided to take up the issue with their hospital’s chief scientific officer, directors of nursing and pharmacy, and palliative care team. Within a month, she planned to inform them of the essential package and train them in when usage of the medicine is indicated, dosage, and recommendations to consider when administering the suppository form.
Her three-month action plan to tackle the problem of having only one doctor and one nurse trained in basic palliative care includes: developing a basic course for staff to be delivered in virtual format. To do this, she plans to include all stakeholders, including hospital directors, IAHPC, and the Faculty of Nursing at the National University of Colombia.
Motivated to reach further
Furthermore, since the webinar, “I have been able to initiate a discussion within healthcare institutions across regions of Colombia regarding the importance of training healthcare personnel in primary care settings to bridge gaps in the delivery of palliative care in rural areas and primary care centers.
“I believe I have shifted my perspective on what constitutes the essential aspects of palliative care, recognizing the importance of involving key stakeholders from organizations and institutions to make policy and strategic decisions that strengthen palliative care units through sustainable, long-term plans.”
Gloria Mabel Carrillo is a nurse and professor specializing in palliative care and oncology. She is on staff in the Faculty of Nursing of the National University of Colombia and the Academic Hospital.
Photo used with permission.
Structured Conversations: Tending to the whole person
Dr. Praneeth Suvvari attended the seminar with the intention of strengthening palliative care services and addressing existing gaps in holistic care delivery at Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital.
“One key lacuna I hoped to better understand was the integration of non-physical domains of care—especially spiritual support—into routine clinical practice,” he said. “As a direct outcome of the seminar, I have initiated discussions within my institution about introducing structured spiritual support services” to help “deliver truly patient-centered care.”
In his practice, Dr. Suvvari began incorporating “structured yet conversational approaches to assess psychosocial and spiritual distress, often drawing from frameworks like the FICA [spiritual assessment] tool while keeping the interaction patient-centered.”
Useful questions to assess spiritual needs
“For example, after addressing physical symptoms, I might ask: ‘Many patients going through serious illness find that it affects not just the body, but also their thoughts, emotions, or even beliefs. Is there anything that has been weighing on your mind or giving you strength during this time?’
“If appropriate, I gently explore further with questions such as: ‘Do you have any personal beliefs or spiritual practices that are important for us to be aware of while caring for you?’ or ‘Are there any concerns, fears, or sources of distress that you feel we haven’t addressed yet?’
“These intentionally open-ended questions allow patients to guide the depth of the conversation. They also help normalize discussions around spiritual and emotional concerns, making it easier for patients and families to express needs that might otherwise remain unspoken.
“This approach has helped me identify patients who may benefit from additional psychosocial or spiritual support and has improved the overall quality of holistic care I am able to provide.”
Equipped to navigate institutional barriers
Overall, he said, “the seminar was extremely insightful, particularly in how stakeholder engagement and institutional change were framed. Discussions on structured communication with administrators, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the practical application of leadership principles were highly valuable. The incorporation of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People into the teaching provided a refreshing and practical lens through which to approach challenges in palliative care implementation.”
Dr. Suvvari’s action plan—a task participants completed as part of the seminar—included engaging key stakeholders (i.e., hospital administrators, human resources, the palliative care team); exploring short-term solutions (bringing in visiting spiritual counselors); and working toward long-term integration of spiritual care into multidisciplinary team practices.
He concluded that “I now feel more equipped to navigate institutional barriers and advocate for comprehensive palliative care using structured strategies and effective communication.”
Dr. Praneeth Suvvari is senior consultant and Incharge physician in the Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine at Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Hyderabad, India.