PhD fellow Mie Nordly, MSc, Palliative Research Group, Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, gives some personal highlights from this year’s EAPC World Research Congress.
More than 1,200 people from 47 countries met together in Dublin to showcase their latest research in palliative care
The 9th World Research Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care, held at University College Dublin, Ireland, on 9-11 June 2016, was my fourth EAPC conference. The surroundings of the venue were beautiful, particularly when, for just a few moments, the sun sparkled over the pond that was a central feature of the venue. At the welcome reception on Wednesday evening, it was great to get a glass of wine and catch up with old and new researcher friends from around the world while enjoying a glimpse of the sun before listening to the beautiful ‘Songs in the Key of D Choir’.
Songs in the Key of D Choir at the welcome reception
The congress started with an interesting talk by Russell K Portenoy (US) who delivered this year’s Vittorio Ventafridda Lecture: Palliative Care Services in the US Health Care System – what is the evidence? He went through the last 15 years of randomised controlled trials within the field of palliative care services in the US and concluded that more research is badly needed. I strongly agree with Professor Portenoy as my PhD project (The DOMUS Trial (trial number: NCT01885637)) is strongly related to his topic that we base clinical practice on very little evidence. Next year in Madrid, I hope it will be possible to present our study group’s first results from The DOMUS study: a randomised controlled trial of accelerated transition from oncological treatment to specialized palliative care at home.
Prof Russell Portenoy delivers the Vittorio Ventafridda Lecture in Dublin
This year some of the ‘Meet the Experts’ sessions were based on protocol presentations. This gave young/new researchers and others the opportunity to get feedback and discuss the methodology of their studies up front. Further, these sessions are short and give good practice in delivering research in a precise and accurate way. I highly recommend young researchers to submit abstracts of their protocols for future congresses.
More than 350 posters were displayed throughout the conference. Besides the scientific content, it is always fun and inspiring to see how other researchers choose to present their achievements. Moreover, you can learn what to do, or what not to do, to attract an audience without taking focus from the content with a fancy design.
Mie Nordly with her poster, Home‐based Specialized Palliative Care in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Systematic Review
As a young researcher, I find that EAPC congresses are important to participate in. You get the chance to exchange experiences with other researchers, learn something new, and the opportunity for collaboration with researchers from around the globe.
Some important diary dates!
- The 6th International Seminar of the PRC and EAPC RN, Banff, Alberta, Canada 1-3 December 2016. Online abstract submission closes 30 September 2016.
- 15th EAPC World Congress Madrid – Online abstract submissions open 15 July 2016.
- 2017 EAPC Researcher Awards – apply now. Online submissions now open – close 30 November 2016.
- 10th EAPC World Research Congress Berne – 23 May 2018.
Read more posts from the 9th EAPC World Research Congress here. (Prof Russell K Portenoy and the winners of the 2016 EAPC Researcher Awards: Dr Martin Loucka, Dr Bridget Candy and Dr Kirsten Wentlandt).
EAPC Blog 