Health Canada's new $4.3 million Pallium Project (www.pallium.ca) aims to improve palliative care in rural Western and Northern Canada. With only about 20 specialized palliative care units in Canada, an estimated 240 000 Canadians die each year without appropriate end-of-life support.
The 30–month Pallium Project, which was launched in December 2003, will provide education to family physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals via teleconference, the Internet, toll-free phone lines and courses. Palliative care specialists will be available for telehealth case consultations.
“Many Canadian physicians and health professionals have not been trained in palliative pain and symptom management, or in grief and bereavement support,” notes Dr. Jose Pereira, the project leader. Pallium will establish palliative care resource teams in every health region and is working with medical schools to improve palliative care curriculum.
Consultant Michael Aherne says the new federal compassionate leave benefit may drive demand for improved palliative care. “Consumers will be looking for professionals to direct them to better … resources.” — Heather Kent, Vancouver