The EFNS Scientist Panels and ENS Subcommittees aim at coordinating different facets of clinical research and good neurological practice at European level. They will play a very important role in the European Academy of Neurology – EAN. We invited the chairpersons of the EFNS Scientist Panels and ENS Subcommittees for their view on the future role of these panels/subcommittees within the EAN.
Interview with Raymond Voltz
Neuropenews: Can you please briefly outline the future role you see for your scientist panel/sub-committee within the European Academy of Neurology.
The clinical relevance of palliative care for patients with tumours such as glioblastoma and also care for the families of these patients remains undisputed since its beginning in St. Christopher’s hospice in London in the late 60ties of the last century. So far its relevance for patients with non tumor diagnosis such as neurogenerative diseases however widely remains unrecognised, although there is emerging evidence for relevance in these patients as well. Furthermore palliative care is widely seen as care for the dying, whereas also recent scientific evidence shows that an “early integration” concept not only increases quality of life of patients, but can also contribute to a longer life (see Temel et al, New England Journal of Medicine, August 2010). Our scientist panel “Palliative care and neurology” sees as its major goals (1) to increase awareness of neurologists for palliative care for all progressive neurological diseases, (2) to contribute to increasing palliative care knowledge, skills and attitudes by providing teaching possibilities by specialist palliative care neurologists, and (3) to increase the scientific basis for this approach by conducting and supporting research.
Neuropenews: How can Neuropenews contribute and enhance the work of your panel?
Neuropenews can help enormously by (1) promoting the idea of palliative care among neurologists by helping to spread news about this topic widely, (2) activating neurologists interested in this topic but still feeling a little isolated in this interest by getting everybody interested together in this scientist panel, (3) distributing news on teaching possibilities and (4) by interesting neurologists in research projects in this area. Palliative care in neurology is a major future topic for the field of neurology and Neuropenews can contribute greatly in that development.
