OPCARE 9

 

About OPCARE 9

OPCARE9 is a European Collaboration which aims to optimise research and clinical care for cancer patients in the last days of life.

This is an EU 7th Framework funded project worth €2.2 million which involves the collaboration of 9 international academic partners.

It aims to facilitate:

• The development of innovative and creative research methodologies and protocols to address identified gaps in knowledge through future international collaboration
• The identification of European Quality Indicators against which to measure future care in the last days of life
• The identification of 'Technologies' with which to improve the delivery of care in the final days and hours of life.

Almost 100 colleagues across Europe and beyond have co-operated on a virtual and face to face basis to facilitate the programme areas below. These include nurses, specialist doctors, social workers, researchers, pharmacists, psychologists, academic and clinical professors.

Work packages

The work comprises several key work packages and also includes needs assessment, quality indicators, technologies and future research and methodologies.

The work packages are:

• 1. Signs and symptoms of approaching death
• 2. End of life decisions
• 3. Complementary comfort care
• 4. Psychosocial and psychological care of patients, family and caretakers
• 5. Volunteer services
• 6. Co-ordination, management and dissemination
• 7. Evaluation of the collaboration and development of the international LCP programme

Partners

• Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool, University of Liverpool, UK
• Cologne University, Germany
• Erasmus MC, University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• National Cancer Research Institute, Genoa, Italy
• Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation, Sweden
• Palliative Care Development Institute, Slovenia
• Catonal Hospital St Gallen, Switzerland
• Pallium Latinoamerica (NGO), Argentina
• Arohanui Hospice, New Zealand 

Click here to visit the OPCARE9 website