IPOS has recently established a Palliative Care Special Interest Group (SIG). The aims of the Palliative Care Special Interest Group (SIG) are to:

• Provide a professional network for members with an interest in psychosocial aspects of palliative care
• Foster links with researchers and clinicians from the broad range of disciplines working in the area of palliative care to promote psychosocial care as a core component of quality palliative care
• Facilitate discussion about initiatives to enhance psychosocial knowledge and skills of health professionals working in palliative care
• Facilitate discussion about research initiatives and foster research collaborations (in coordination with the IPOS Research Committee)
• Disseminate information about educational opportunities (including web-based resources or focused training), workshops or conferences, develop focused educational initiatives (in collaboration with the IPOS Education Committee) and contribute to the scientific program of the IPOS World Congress as appropriate

We are now calling for expressions of interest / members. To be eligible, you must be a member of IPOS, or be willing to join. Associate memberships are available with reduced rates for those in lower and middle-income countries. Memberships obtained in 2020 will be valid until the end of 2021.

Work of the SIG will be shaped by the membership, though we anticipate initial work will include:

• Establishing a section of the IPOS website that will contain: guidance regarding the psychosocial aspects of palliative care for patients and caregivers; professional psychosocial education relevant to palliative care; information about research gaps and priorities; profiles of current IPOS members active in palliative care research and psychosocial care as a core component of palliative care; resources about the psychosocial aspects of palliative care  for patients and carers, available in multiple languages
• Collating information from SIG members regarding their current clinical practice, educational and research activity, relating to the psychosocial aspects of palliative care
• Facilitating research collaborations in topics relating to the psychosocial dimensions of palliative care
• Considering the development of position statements and resource-stratified guidelines relating to psychosocial care as a core component of palliative care

Please complete a simple form by October 15 to register your interest by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/palliativecaresig

I hope we’ll have our first Zoom meeting in within the next two months.  Hope to see you then .

Best wishes,

Gary Rodin
Chair, IPOS Palliative Care Special interest Group (SIG)