Description:
Canadian data continues to demonstrate massive inequities in access to Palliative Care (PC) services for patients with non-malignant illness and multi-morbidity across care settings despite research demonstrating that such patients have significant palliative needs. The numerous barriers to non-malignant PC illuminated in literature and our clinical work with non-malignant patients point to a number of key questions to guide a way forward:
• How do the needs of patients with cancer and non-cancer diagnoses differ?
• How is our current model of PC inherently cancer-focused?
• What does a non-malignant model of PC look like?
• What are the affordances and limitations of a non-malignant model of PC in our current healthcare systems?

In this workshop we will explore the above questions and call on the experiences of participants to help collaboratively (re)envision a non-malignant model of PC. A literature review of current access and barriers to PC for patients with non-cancer diagnoses will be shared. Cases from our diverse work in the tertiary inpatient setting will be integrated to illuminate the complexities and successes of early PC for patients with multimorbidity and organ failure. Participants will exchange ideas and innovations through the sharing of their own local and regional initiatives to support patients with non-cancer diagnoses. In terms of relevance, this workshop will provide an opportunity for PC physicians to better characterize the problem of inequitable access to PC based on diagnosis and begin to work towards a shared conceptualization of how our individual and collective practices can change to improve care.

Presenter(s):     Dr. Kyra Harris-Schultz
Moderator:        Dr. Anne Boyle