Training in Palliative Care: a decisive step towards the quality of end of life

Abstract

Palliative Care is an answer to the growing need of care for pa- tients suffering from incurable diseases, whose management is often burdened by the inadequacy of the social and family networ- ks, by limited resources and poor training of health workers. Al- though the institutional pathway of this new discipline is on its way, the knowledge of its founding principles is still very limited, both among citizens and, even more surprisingly, among the same operators, who still see Palliative Care as a “consolation and frustration medicine”. On the other hand, this discipline focu- ses on the dignity of men till the end of life, trying to give a global answer to all their needs and those of their families. If the center of the health care response is the human being, then it should be the same patient to be able to identify his needs and thus to enter 

into the decision-making process. In order to achieve this level of care relationship, synergistic and aware, and a real sharing of res- ponsibilities, patients must go through a gradual understading of their own disease condition. A trained physician should guide pa- tients through this foundamental journey. In fact, people appro- aching the end of life do indeed need high quality care, which should meet all their inner spheres, but also continuity of care and stable and mature therapeutic relationships. Similarly, every heal- th worker who lives patients’ end of life should have proper tools not to be damaged and not to be overwhelmed by the intensity of these relationships. In this context, a Master in Palliative Care is meant to develop specialized skills and fill the educational gap and it should be the first step towards a deep and claimed cultural change in our country.