About us

What IPPCN does - Advocacy of Primary Palliative Care

Our group seeks to promote the vital role of primary care in the delivery of high quality palliative care to all people who need it. This means that palliative care needs to be available for:
  1. All life threatening illnesses
  2. Earlier rather than later
  3. All dimensions of the person
  4. All nations, and 
  5. In the community

Advocacy

Primary palliative care, the interface between the disciplines of palliative care and primary care, is acknowledged as very important but not well understood. This International Primary Palliative Care Network (IPPCN) seeks to provide opportunities to highlight the issues in primary palliative care, and the efforts of researchers and educators to address them.

Promoting research

Our members are more than willing to support those interested in conducting research in the area of primary palliative care. There are a wide range of research skills that can be drawn upon. The EAPC primary care toolkit facilitates the promotion of primary palliative care in different countries. Many of our members are experienced in starting or expanding services for for development.

Using Publications

Publications provide opportunities to convey the nature of primary palliative care, the effectiveness of palliative care delivered in primary care, where the problems lie and what can be done to improve the delivery of care. Also publications help improve the understanding of the experience and needs of patients and their families. All this offers the chance of improving the quality of life of patients in the final stages of their lives. Publications can include research findings, editorials that provide interpretation of what is happening and calls for action. Submissions can be made to governments with suggestions on how primary care can enhance the care of patients.

Strategic Use of Search Engines

Using the same key words in publications and research funding submissions will help identify as many articles published by group members as possible through search engines, by providing words to match the searches relevant to our area of interest. Key words suggested are: PRIMARY PALLIATIVE CARE, GENERAL PRACTICE, FAMILY PHYSICIAN, COMMUNITY PALLIATIVE CARE.