The section of Healthcare Ethics, department IQ healthcare, (Radboudumc university medical centre) organizes the 21st edition of the advanced European bioethics course ‘Suffering, Death and Palliative Care’ from March 19-22, 2019.

The keynote lecture will be held by prof. Luc Deliens, Director of the End-of-Life Care Research Group, professor of Palliative Care Research, Vrije Universiteit Brussels and Ghent University.

Objective of this course is to educate the participants on two main aspects: ethical questions of palliative care and medically assisted death, and philosophical, theological and medical reflections on the concepts of death and suffering. Attitudes towards death and dying, and the ethical aspects of continuing or foregoing medical treatment, and of medically assisted death receive considerable attention in this course. In addition, the dimensions of spirituality, rituals and intercultural diversity are covered.

This course deals with a variety of topics in the domain of palliative care: autonomy and dependence; scientific research in palliative care; palliative sedation and euthanasia; death, suffering and palliative care; quality of life and a good death; spirituality and palliative care and cultural aspects of death and dying. There will be time for intensive discussions.

Speakers are, among others, Kris Vissers, professor of palliative care in Nijmegen; Ghislaine van Tiel, assistant professor of Medical Ethics in Utrecht; Gert Olthuis, assistant professor medical ethics in Nijmegen, Marianne Dees, General Phycisian and postdoctoral researcher in Nijmegen,Theo Boer, professor of medical ethics, Protestant Theological University and Joanna Wojtkowiak, assistant professor in Utrecht.

The course management strives for a diverse group of participants, with a large diversity in professional and cultural background. This diversity among both faculty and participants stimulates fruitful exchange of ideas and enhances understanding of others’ professional and cultural perspectives on suffering, death and palliative care.