I would like to thank the IAHPC for providing me the opportunity to attend the compulsory residential teaching session for MSc in palliative medicine at Cardiff, UK.
The MSc in Palliative Medicine is awarded after completion of a dissertation based on an original research project in the field of palliative medicine plus residential training on “How to conduct a scientific research.”
Going to Cardiff and meeting our mentors and teachers and the 17 participants from various countries was a great experience.
During our first day we were introduced to each other and had a brief introduction to the course by the course coordinator and a discussionon how to conduct palliative research.
In the latter half of the day, we were divided into 4 groups and each group was assigned a mentor. In this group we all discussed our research topics/ ideas and whether our topics were feasible to conduct in our home setting. This was a great opportunity to come up with new ideas for a dissertation, rectify/resolve doubts and refine our goals.
On the second day we were taught about qualitative research: how to conduct it and how to collect data. This was an enriching experience as I had a limited understanding about a qualitative study before going to Cardiff. In the latter half of the day, we learned about clinical trial designs and how to conduct systematic reviews
On the third day we were introduced to statistics, measurement scales and how to design a questionnaire.
During the fourth day we had lectures on health economics, research ethics, informed consent and how to do a literature search. All these topics were very interesting and important and I learned a lot about informed consent and research ethics which are integral parts of conducting a study. I also learned new ways of doing literature searches which will help me in the future.
On our last day we again were divided into small groups where we refined our topics for the dissertation, and ask questions. This was a memorable experience and a great time to meet friends and make new ones.
Once again I would like to thank the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC), Liliana De Lima, Ana M Restrepo, Lino Roza and their wonderful team for providing me a traveling scholarship.
Dr Sanjay Dhiraaj, MD (Anaesthesiology)
Additional Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology
Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.
Email: [email protected] and [email protected]
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How your gift supports the IAHPC mission
Achieved: $24,941
Goal: $30,000
83%
Education
Your gift funds the operational costs of our online courses taught by globally recognized experts who volunteer their time and provide educational resources relevant to palliative care topics. It also supports scholarships that enable palliative care workers to attend educational events and congresses, and allows us to maintain Pallipedia, the free, live, online dictionary.
The goal of this pillar is to implement strategies, resources and tools that will improve the competencies of the global workforce for appropriate palliative care delivery. We have two programs under this pillar plus many other resources for our members.
Your gift enables us to build and strengthen the partnerships that accelerate global, regional, and national advocacy for palliative care. We advocate for its integration into primary health care under universal health coverage and effective access to essential palliative care medicines and packages for people of all ages. Your gift supports our work to prepare delegates and participate in technical consultation meetings of the relevant UN organizations.
The goal this pillar is the integration of palliative care into primary health care within the spectrum of universal coverage to improve access to adequate care for patients in need. We offer the following to our members:
Documents on Human Rights and Access to Medicines and Care
Research
Your gift enables us to continue doing research that provides guidance and recommendations for action, based on responses from the global palliative care community. Such research includes our recent evaluation of the impact of euthanasia and assisted dying practices on palliative care workers and the use of essential medicines for palliative care. It also supports the costs of publications focused on research relevant to palliative care.
The goal of this pillar is to design and implement projects that lead to the integration of palliative care into health policies, resolutions, and key documents. Our studies help us provide guidance and recommendations, and take action based on the responses from the global palliative care community.
Your membership enables you to participate in IAHPC projects such as the:
Your gift enables us to continue our in-depth reporting and book reviews in Pallinews, as well as media campaigns that raise awareness about the need to increase access to care and support for patients and families.
We are a small organization that allocates over 80% of our budget to mission driven programs and to the maintenance of our free website. We need operational funding to continue the work.
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IAHPC members: When you gift a 2-year membership to a colleague in a low- or middle-income country, we extend your membership by 6 months.