About

Myhre Aud May 4th, 2010

This course is a joint venture between the Associations for Palliative Medicine in the five Nordic countries for a theoretical specialist training course consisting of 6 modules in the course of 2 years.

The course is developed for physicians who have been trained as specialists in relevant clinical specialities and need expertise in palliative medicine at a specialist level.

The aim of the course is to equip doctors to carry the responsibility of a consultant working full time in a specialist palliative care setting with responsibility for a substantial numbers of patients with late stage disease.

Background

During the last decades, an increasing awareness of the need for a defined area of medicine to take care of patients with advanced, life-threatening disease has emerged in all the Nordic countries. Official reports have been published that give recommendations for the establishment of specialist palliative care services nation-wide, and an increasing number of palliative health care programmes are being set up. So far, however, palliative medicine is not recognized as a medical specialty in any Nordic countries, and up to now just a very limited number of doctors in the Nordic countries have education and experience in the field. We are facing the situation that new palliative care units and programmes might be established without the appropriate medical staffing. This situation, therefore, presents an urgent need to educate doctors in the Nordic countries in palliative medicine at a specialist level.

Course preparation and management

A Nordic Task Force Group with representatives from the Associations for Palliative Medicine in all the five Nordic coutries was established in 2001 in order to develop a Nordic educational program in palliative medicine. The group had four meetings between November 2001 and August 2002.

The first course was conducted from September 2003 to May 2005. The second course started in September 2005.

The five national Associations for Palliative Medicine in the Nordic countries are responsible for the course. The course is run by a steering committee with members appointed by these five associations.

The course secretariat is located in Trondheim:

Nordic Specialist Course in Palliative Medicine
Elin Steen
Administrative Assistant
Regional Centre for Palliative Care
3. Floor Bevegelsessenteret East
St. Olavs Hospital
N-7006 Trondheim
Norway

Telephone: +47 72826146
E-mail: elin.steen@ntnu.no


Economy of the course:

Cecilie Strandberg
E-mail: cst@dadl.dk

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