Palliative Care Matters is a national initiative designed to talk with Canadians about their views and lived experiences, review the most current evidence, and develop consensus on the steps that need to be taken now to ensure Canadians in all parts of the country can access high‐quality palliative care services as part of Canada’s universal healthcare model.
Covenant Health has joined with many of Canada’s leading national health organizations and experts in palliative care and health policy to lead this initiative. The initiative is being co‐chaired by Karen Macmillan, Senior Operating Officer of Covenant Health with lead in palliative care and Fred Horne, former Alberta health minister and health policy advisor.
Palliative Care Matters features Canada’s first consensus development conference on palliative care.
Research done by the national polling firm Ipsos will inform the work of the initiative and The Conference Board of Canada will prepare a report after the conference outlining potential policy options and considerations for implementation.
Palliative Care Matters has three phases:
- Over the summer a poll of 1500 Canadians will be conducted to find out what Canadians think, the services and supports they value most, and their views on access and approaches.
- A Consensus Development Conference will follow on November 7‐9, 2016 in Ottawa. At the conference, a lay panel will study what Canadians said and hear from experts on the key issues that need to be addressed in order to improve palliative care. The lay panel is being chaired by Don Newman, one of Canada’s most respected journalists and an award winning broadcaster.
- Following their deliberations the lay panel will issue a consensus statement detailing their findings and proposing next steps.
- The consensus statement will be at the heart of a roadmap for Canada released by The Conference Board of Canada early in 2017. The strategy will outline policy options and implementation plans to guide governments, health care delivery organizations, professionals and other stakeholders.
Palliative care provides comfort and support to patients and families during a life limiting illness, the end stages of life, and when dealing with grief and loss.
Interested Canadians are invited to sign up for more information at www.palliativecarematters.ca.
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