The iLive Project is an international effort. Thirteen teams are working together in nine different aspects of the project to make it possible. Here you can know more about each center.
The Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
The department of Public Health of Erasmus MC performs cross-disciplinary research in an open and critical atmosphere. This research is often conducted in close collaboration with health care facilities and networks. It is organized in two main programmes: “Determinants and primary prevention” and “Secondary prevention and care”. In the latter program, we evaluate the organisation, processes, effects, cost-effectiveness and ethics of health care, including palliative and end-of-life care.
In the vision of the department of Internal Oncology of Erasmus MC is ‘the treatment of an individual with cancer determined by specific characteristics of that individual patient and needs to be constantly adjusted according to the changes observed in these characteristics’. The research activities from the department of Internal Oncology are organized in five divisions. The division of Palliative and Supportive Care is focused at determining and optimizing factors that affect patients’ quality of life.
University of Humanistic Studies in Utrecht (The Netherlands)
Located at the heart of the medieval city centre of Utrecht, the University of Humanistic Studies is a small denominational university that is explicitly inspired by humanist traditions. Our research and education focus on contemporary issues concerning meanings of life and worldviews, and on building a humane society.
Humanistic Studies is a multidisciplinary science that draws on various disciplines that are used in conjunction whenever appropriate. These disciplines are philosophy, ethics, psychology, education, sociology, history, religious studies, and philosophy of science and scientific methodology.
Since its establishment in 1989, the university has been active in the field of social, ethical and worldview-related scientific research. It also supports the practical application of the knowledge acquired through this research. It educates creative and critical professionals and takes an active position as a participant in social debates. Despite its relatively small size, the university has managed to carve its own unique niche.
Currently around 550 regular students are enrolled at the University in a Bachelor, Master or pre-Master programme of Humanistic Studies, or in the Master programme of Care Ethics and Policy. These programmes are (so far) largely offered in Dutch. Some courses are taught in English and open to exchange students. The University also offers doctorate programmes in the graduate school.
Graduates find jobs in diverse sectors of society. They work as a coach or humanist counsellor in care institutions, the army or the penitentiary sector, or as teachers of worldviews and morality, or sociology. Many also work as a consultant, policy worker or researcher in civic, academic and commercial organisations or in policy-making institutions.
Pallium Latinoamerica in Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Pallium Latin America is a non-profit association based in Buenos Aires, aimed to patients´care with advanced diseases. It has an intense educational activity at all levels. The clinical research carried out focuses on clinical, ethical, cultural and psychosocial aspects of care. Since 2001, it has been carrying out a solidarity home based program. It has received several awards for his PAMPA program, translation, cultural adaptation and implementation of a comprehensive care program for patients and families in the last days of life, becoming a reference and facilitator in education and research on end-of-life care. Participate and lead the "Todos con Vos, Buenos Aires Compassionate City" Program.
St Vincent Hospital in Sydney (Australia)
Founded in 1857 by the Sisters of Charity, St Vincent’s Hospital is one of Australia’s most iconic Hospitals, which functions as a full service acute public teaching hospital.
Part of the NSW-based arm of St Vincent’s Health Australia, the Hospital provides significant training and research activities housing several specialty units that are internationally recognised as centres of excellence.
Medical University of Vienna (Austria)
The Medical University of Vienna is one of the oldest and most traditional medical training and research facilities in Europe. It is today the largest medical training institute in the German-speaking area with about 8,000 students. With its 26 university hospitals, three clinical institutes, 12 theoretical medicine centres and numerous highly specialised laboratories, it is included among the most important cutting-edge research institutes of Europe in the area of biomedicine. The Department of Health Economics was founded in 2013 as the first dedicated health economics department in Austria and is a dynamically growing international research unit counting 15 members by today. It is part of the Center for Public Health with over 70 employees and aims to support efficiency and equity concerning health and health care through relevant interdisciplinary collaborations within the university and with national and international research and decision-making institutions. Major research areas include the synthesis of evidence and appraisal of the socioeconomic burden of diseases, the costs, benefits and cost-effectiveness of preventative, diagnostic and treatment interventions both alongside clinical studies and using modelling techniques. One specific research focus lies on applied and methodological research in health economics and public health, including the assessment of outcomes with help of self-reported instruments.
Department of Palliative Medicine, University Hospital in Cologne (Germany)
With the establishment of the first German Chair of Palliative Medicine in 2004 (initially funded by the German Cancer Aid), the Department for Palliative Medicine was established as an independent clinic under the direction of university professor Dr. med. Raymond Voltz as director and chair holder. Palliative care has started clinically in Cologne in 1984 with the first German palliative care unit, and we have now expanded the clinical work of our department caring for more than 2500 patients every year offering differentiated care structures: a palliative care unit (15 beds, separate building), consult service for in-patients in all units of the University Hospital, out-patient service organized via MVZ, and specialized palliative home care (SAPV). We offer multi-professional and interdisciplinary care supplemented by complimentary therapies, coordinated by case management. In the last 10 years we have started and expanded further activities in teaching and research.
Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland
Landspitali is the only hospital in the Reykjavik capital area and the leading hospital in Iceland which provides service nationwide. It is funded by the Ministry of Welfare, supervised by the Directorate of Health and provides specialized and general care. The hospital had 631 beds in the end of year 2018, with around 25.200 admissions. The mean length of stay was 8.6 days. Around 1/3 of all deaths in Iceland occur at the hospital.
Arohanui Hospice in Palmerston North (New Zealand)
Arohanui Hospice is a 10 bed Hospice servicing a 200,000 base population with a Regional Cancer Treatment Service on site that reaches a much larger population base.
Arohanui Hospice is a specialist palliative care service that offers comprehensive community and In Patient services to around 1000 patients and their families per annum.
Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen (Norway)
Haukeland University Hospital (company name Helse Bergen) covers a population of about 1 million, employs around 12,000 individuals and treats almost 600,000 patients annually. The Regional Centre of Excellence for Palliative Care, Western Norway is located at Haukeland University Hospital, with the aims to promote research, education and service development within palliative care. The centre has close links to clinical services and is the national coordinating centre for use of the integrated care plan ‘The Last Days of Life’, with 458 registered user sites across Norway. Our centre has participated in several EU-funded projects and we coordinate the ERANet-LAC CODE Project (2017-2020): Care Of the Dying Evaluation – care for dying cancer patients as perceived by bereaved relatives.
The University of Bergen is an internationally recognized research institution with 3,600 staff members and almost 17,000 students. The Palliative Care Research Group at the Department of Clinical Medicine (K1) is closely integrated with the Regional Centre of Excellence for Palliative Care. Together they form Norway’s leading centre for end-of-life care, acknowledged as an International Reference Centre for Care of the Dying.
University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases Golnik (Slovenia)
The University Clinic Golnik has an established research culture, with a focus on producing high-quality and high-impact results in various fields. Research in the field of palliative care is headed up by an expert, palliative medicine consultant, Urška Lunder, MD, and carried out in collaboration with project team members, who are professionals in different fields, such as psychologists, nurses and a social worker. Two previous EU projects, concerning end-of-life care issues in European context (OPCARE9) and advance care planning in cancer patients (ACTION study) have been carried out at the Clinic Golnik. Taking part in the iLive project is the next project goal where we are aiming to better understand the needs, experiences and expectations of the dying persons, and propose and test programs for improvement - first and foremost, on a global basis. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to reflect on practices around end-of-life care offered at our site and potentially they will be influenced in the light of new insights.
Cudeca Hospice Foundation in Benalmádena (Spain)
The Cudeca Hospice Foundation is a non-profit foundation offering specialized care to people with cancer and other terminal phase diseases, and support to their families. Our services are free.
Cudeca treat patients according to the palliative care philosophy, a field in which they have acquired a great expertise and experience and from wich to develop a special way of caring. The foundation do not only treat the physical part of the disease, but also on a psychological, social, and spiritual level. In short: Cudeca work to make patients feel like people until the last moment.
Its activity began in 1992 thanks to the work and commitment of Joan Hunt. Born in England and settled down in the Costa del Sol, after she lost her husband due to cancer, she decided to dedicate her life to help other people in the same situation. That is why she founded Cudeca.
Today the institution continue to offer treatments totally free of charge to everyone who need them. The team knows they cannot add more days to patients’ lifes, but do care to add more life to their days.
To achieve all this the Foundation counts on the collaboration of their partners and collaborators, and the commitment of the volunteers. Without them it would be impossible to make it happen.
The Institute for Palliative Care (Palliativt Utvecklingscentrum in Lund (Sweden)
The Institute for Palliative Care (Palliativt Utvecklingscentrum) is part of Lund University and Region Skane. Our mission is research, development and education within palliative care.
Our values are based in the philosophy of palliative care and we have a holistic and person-centred perspective on the needs of the patient and family irrespective of diagnoses, age, background or place of care. We know that caring for the dying challenges our capacity for empathy and our ability to meet and stay close to the suffering human being; and to meet the needs of the family. With openness and reflection, we will let this influence and develop ourselves as persons. Our vision is that care of people at the end of their lives shall be given highest priority, that palliative care is of highest quality and that our research is nationally and internationally acknowledged.
The University Centre for Palliative Care at the Inselspital Bern (Switzerland)
The University Centre for Palliative Care at the Inselspital Bern (PZI) was founded at the end of 2012 to give palliative care at the University Hospital a comprehensive and academic weight. One of the main tasks of the Center as a place of teaching and research is to multiply the competencies of specialized palliative care. In addition to the clinical offers, we therefore carry out various lecturing activities and actively participate in research in palliative care. Sensitizing the public to decisions in the final phase of life is also one of our main tasks and we are involved in political and professional committees across Switzerland. Beyond the Centre, the PZI sees itself as part of the regional palliative network and is actively involved in its development.
Palliative Care Institute Liverpool (United Kingdom)
The Palliative Care Institute Liverpool (MCPCIL), University of Liverpool, UK was formed in 2004. It is a partnership between The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, Marie Curie and the University of Liverpool. The Institute aims to make a real and sustained difference to care at the end of life from bedside to policy through service innovation and improvement, research and development and knowledge transfer to inform clinical excellence.
The Institute’s vision is that all people experience a pain free and dignified death, regardless of where they die, supported by the very best clinical and compassionate care.
The Institute’s mission is to be a centre of excellence and an international leader in care for the dying from bedside to policy through service innovation, research and development and knowledge transfer. It enables clinical excellence that makes a real and sustained difference to dying people and their relatives and carers, influencing those who shape and deliver healthcare for the dying.