Gearing up for the McGill International Palliative Care Congress

The World Health Organization defines palliative care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing a life-threatening illness (1). This can include chronic diseases such as cancer, as well as advanced cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, and even HIV/AIDS. (1) Unfortunately, only 14% of people worldwide who need palliative care actually receive it. (1) Expanding knowledge and access to palliative care could, therefore, improve the quality of life for many patients.

On October 15-18^th, 2024, in Montreal, Quebec, Palliative Care McGill will host the International Congress on Palliative Care again. This congress has been an annual event since 1976, hosting over 1,500 healthcare professionals from over 65 countries.

The mission of Palliative Care McGill is to improve the field of palliative care and enable persons with a life-threatening or life-limiting illness and their families to achieve an optimal quality of life. They offer undergraduate, post-graduate, and professional training programs to educate healthcare providers on integrative holistic palliative care, which includes psychosocial, spiritual, and physical approaches. They have become a center of academic excellence through interdisciplinary research and education, international collaboration, supporting social policy development, and community outreach. (2)

The Integrative Oncology Institute is very excited to have the privilege of being selected to deliver a poster presentation at the congress this year. This will be the first time a naturopathic integrative palliative care approach will be presented at this international meeting. In a Jeopardy-style interactive workshop, we will review clinical cases of our clinic’s most commonly seen symptoms in oncology palliative care and demonstrate how an integrative palliative care approach, including both naturopathic and conventional management, is delivered.

Integrative palliative care is a new and burgeoning field within the larger context of palliative care. Many attendees are likely never to have been taught or even exposed to this approach to the care of the seriously ill. Dr. Gurdev Parmar, ND, FABNO, who has over 25 years of experience as a naturopathic oncologist, and Dr. Kevin Sclater, MD, CCFP(PC), who has over 30 years of experience as a palliative care physician, will present the poster and engage the audience in this fun, interactive workshop.

To learn more about the McGill International Palliative Care Congress, please visit their website:

 https://www.mcgill.ca/palliativecare/. If you’re attending the congress, be sure to stop by our exhibit booth and say hello!

If you are interested in becoming more knowledgeable about integrative palliative care, consider the Advanced Integrative Oncology Palliative Care Course offered by the Integrative Oncology Institute: https://integrativeoncologyinstitute.ca/.

If you are interested in becoming more knowledgeable about integrative palliative care, consider the Advanced Integrative Oncology Palliative Care Course by the Integrative Oncology Institute.