Plenary
Plenary 1: 360° Approach in Continuum of Care – Dr Nandini Vallath
This inaugural plenary lays the foundation for the conference by introducing a comprehensive, whole-system view of palliative care. It explores how physical, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of care intersect and guides clinicians to adopt a continuum-based mindset that spans diagnosis to bereavement.
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Plenary 2: “Making Education Stick”: Techniques that Lead to Change -Dr Frank Ferris
A session led by Dr. Frank Ferris, one of the most influential voices in global palliative care. This session focuses on the science of effective learning, introducing teaching strategies that improve learner engagement, and behavioural change.
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Plenary 3: Demoralization & Existential Distress in Palliative Care – Dr. David Kissane
A rare opportunity to learn directly from one of the world's leading palliative care physicians. This session delves into the nuanced experience of demoralization, loss of meaning, spiritual anguish, and existential distress faced by patients with serious illness.
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Plenary 4: From Compassion to Metrics – Dr. Ravi Kannan
Compassion is foundational, but systems improve only when compassion is paired with data, metrics, and measurable quality indicators. This plenary highlights how cancer and palliative care services can embed quality improvement (QI) cycles and apply system-thinking to ensure consistent, high-standard care. Expect practical examples from real-world low-resource settings.
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Plenary 5: Tools for Psychosocial Assessment – Dr. Santosh Chaturvedi
This session equips clinicians with reliable screening tools, structured assessments, and clear referral pathways to address psychological and psychiatric issues across the continuum. It covers tools for identifying distress, anxiety, depression, cognitive issues, caregiver burden, and spiritual concerns.
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Plenary 6: Sustaining the Continuum – Integrating Care Across Settings – Sis. Hanife
This plenary outlines how teams can ensure smooth transitions between hospital, hospice, outpatient, and home-care settings. It focuses on building systems for communication, documentation, teamwork, and compassionate logistics.
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Plenary 7: Continuum of Nursing Education – Dr. Asha P Shetty
Nurses are the cornerstone of palliative care. This plenary explores how nursing education can be strengthened across the learning lifespan, from foundational competencies to advanced practice skills.
