Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach PEPA

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Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach
(PEPA)

• Ellen Sheridan
• PEPA manager
• Cancer and Palliative Care Unit, DHS

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Defining Palliative Care

• an approach that improves quality of life of
  patients and their families facing problems
  associated with life-threatening illness, through
  the prevention of suffering by means of early
  identification and impeccable assessment and
  treatment of pain and other problems, physical,
  psychological and spiritual
• (World Health Organization 2002)

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Defining the Palliative Approach

• A palliative approach is an approach linked to
  palliative care that is used by primary care
  providers to improve quality of life for people
  living with a life-threatening illness
• View that death, dying and bereavement are a part
  of life
• (Palliative Care Australia 2005)

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The link between a persons needs and a
palliative approach
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Traditional view of palliative care

• Diagnosis of life threatening illness

• Goal is cure
• Personal failure if no cure
• Palliative and curative care cannot be delivered
  together
• Disease is acute short
• Patients/families do not want to talk about end
  of life issues
• Individual clinician responsible for providing
  all aspects of care

End of life care
Life prolonging therapy
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Timely palliative care

• Goal is management and quality of life
• Offered in conjunction with active curative care
• Care responds to illness trajectory not seen as
  failure
• Disease is chronic needs ongoing management
• Patients families engaged in advanced care
  planning
• Patient care needs met by multidisciplinary team

• Diagnosis of life threatening illness

Life prolonging therapy
Palliative care
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PEPA

• Aim to improve the quality, availability and
  access to palliative care for people who have a
  life-threatening illness, and their families
• By enhancing the capacity of health
  professionals to deliver a palliative approach
  through their participation in facilitated
  supervised clinical placements

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Supervised clinical placements

• General Practitioners
• Nurses
• Aboriginal health workers
• Allied health professionals

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Supervised clinical placements

• Whats involved?
• Complete an application form (supply copy of
  registration to practice medical
  insurance/indemnity)
• Negotiate where when
• Complete placement
• Undertake quality activity

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Supervised clinical placements

• After a placement you will be able to
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the
  principles of palliative care
• Identify the needs of patients with a
  life-limiting illness and their family
• Identify the role of your discipline in managing
  problems faced by this group of patients
• Recognise your own knowledge base and scope of
  practice with regard to optimal palliative care
  provision
• Identity personal coping strategies to
  effectively manage the personal issues related to
  working in this field

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Feedback from past GP participants
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Feedback from past GP participants
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Feedback from past GP participants
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Where to from here?

• Access the website
• (www.health.vic.gov.au/palliativecare/PEPA)
• Submit an application
• Make contact if you have questions
• (Ellen Sheridan, ph 9096 5296)