Cancer Research in Switzerland - Krebsliga Schweiz

Conclusion
Palliative care is a broad and an interesting topic. In
the light of the sociodemographic development in
Switzerland and other Western countries, the social
and political relevance of palliative care research is
very high. Research efforts show that results cannot
simply be “imported” from elsewhere but instead
must be adapted to the cultural context of a country,
or must be gained in the country itself. For this reason,
an important objective over the years to come
will be the establishment of a broad research community
in the field of palliative care in Switzerland.
This should represent and revitalize the various axes:
from clinical practice research to philosophical issues,
from various regional foci in the sense of a virtual
national research institute to international collaboration
– and all of this supported and solidly
anchored within the academic world. This objective
could best be reached in Switzerland by establishing
modern, inter-professional professorships in palliative
care. In this way, palliative care could be further
developed as an innovative model also in research.
Steffen Eychmüller, MD
Steffen Eychmüller has been
medical director and head of
the Center for Palliative Care
at the Cantonal Hospital of
St Gallen since 2006. He studied
medicine and completed his residency
in Germany and Switzerland.
He then conducted research
in Sydney and Perth, Australia.
Eychmüller specializes in palliative care, psycho-oncology,
and pain. He is a co-investigator in the European research
project OPCARE9. From 2005 to 2009 he was co-president
of the Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Palliative Medizin,
Pflege und Begleitung (palliative ch).
Phone +41 (0)71 494 35 51
steffen.eychmueller@kssg.ch
www.palliativ-sg.ch
References
1. BAG/GDK (Federal Office of Public Health/Swiss
Conference of the Cantonal Ministers of Public
Health). Nationale Strategie Palliative Care 2010–2012
[National Strategy for Palliative Care 2010–2012].
Available in German, French, and Italian at
www.bag.admin.ch/palliativecare. A summary in
English is available at http://www.bag.admin.ch/
themen/medizin/06082/10907/index.html?lang=de
2. “palliative ch” working group for research (Arbeitsgruppe
Forschung): www.palliative.ch/index.
php?id=126
3. WHO Definition of Palliative Care (2002):
www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/
4. European Palliative Care Research Collaborative
EPCRC: www.epcrc.org
5. OPCARE9, a European collaboration to improve care
of the dying: www.opcare9.eu
6. Council of Europe Resolution 1649 (2009): Palliative
care: a model for innovative health and social policies:
http://assembly.coe.int/Mainf.asp?link=/Documents/
AdoptedText/ta09/ERES1649.htm
7. BAG/GDK (Federal Office of Public Health/
Swiss Conference of the Cantonal Ministers of Public
Health). (2010). Nationale Leitlinien Palliative
Care [National guidelines for palliative care] (p. 8).
Bern: BAG/GDK.
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