The Global Institute of Psychosocial, Palliative and End-of-Life Care (GIPPEC) is devoted to promoting and developing interdisciplinary research that addresses the medical, psychological, social, legal, ethical, cultural and religious problems related to psychosocial and palliative care of individuals with advanced and terminal disease.
Our vision is to be an interdisciplinary, collaborative center for research and education focused on the psychological, physical and social consequences of life threatening and advanced disease. We have established and will continue to maintain excellence in research, education and knowledge mobilization.
The Strategic Aims of GIPPEC include:
In collaboration with the Institute of Cancer Policy, King’s College London, GIPPEC is co-leadijng a Lancet Oncology Commission on the Humanitarian Crisis of Cancer. This Commission has engaged a diverse group, of clinicians, scholars and policy makers to identify and provide solutions for the factors that contribute to the imbalance between the biomedical and human aspects of cancer care, on a global scale and at all stages of the disease. The aim of the Commission is to shed light on the power and political economy, value systems, commercial and other drivers of resource allocation in cancer, to move toward a more balanced care experience for patients and families around the world.
Dr. Madeline Li developed and leads, CARED (Clinical Access, Responsibility, and Ethics in the Desire for Death), an international academic think tank to generate and disseminate knowledge and to advance research, health policy, education and clinical practice with regard to assisted dying and related practices in diverse settings, with consideration on; the cultural and anthropological context of legislation, policy and practice; the legal, ethical and clinical tensions; the psychological dimensions of the desire for death; and the sociological origins and consequences of the assisted dying movement.
Led by Dr. Kayla Wolofsky, GIPPEC is developing education with PallCHASE (Palliative Care in Humanitarian Aid Situations and Emergencies) to enhance access to educational resources for trainees and healthcare providers.
Dr. Jenny Lau is working to understand and address global opioid use and misuse by assessing the practices, knowledge and attitudes in opioid prescribing internationally and determine how to educate health care professionals to prevent or identify opioid related harms and people at risk.
GIPPEC has formed a network of international clinicians in CALM is a brief, semi-structured, evidence-based intervention designed to help people with advanced and metastatic cancer, and their close loved ones, manage the practical and profound problems associated with advanced disease. Developed by Gary Rodin MD and Sarah Hales MD PhD, at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre CALM, focuses on four content domains that address the practical and profound issues commonly faced by individuals with advanced and metastatic cancer.
The educational aims of GIPPEC are to enhance research skills relevant to palliative and end-of-life care in both faculty and trainees by:
GIPPEC creates a convergence of academic faculty from multiple departments and divisions and fosters the emergence of collaborative research teams at the University of Toronto and with national and international partners. It facilitates the application and integration of methods from the social sciences, humanities and from the health sciences to problems related to palliative and end-of-life care and to the conduct of multicentre and interdisciplinary research. Collaborative research includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the development and evaluation of:
The critical mass of investigators locally, nationally and internationally allows for the generation of thoughtful and evidence-based contributions to policy, practice and education of health professionals and the general public. Education of the public will be linked to the faculty of GIPPEC and to the visiting scholars invited to participate in meetings organized for the general public and organizations and groups with a special interest in palliative and end-of-life care.
An important outcome for GIPPEC is the measurable influence of research emanating from this Institute on policy and on the availability and quality of palliative and end-of-life care locally, national and internationally. This will occur as a result of the engagement of scholars and international partners from the Institute with key stakeholders in palliative and end-of-life care locally, nationally and internationally, including governmental and other decision-making health care bodies, professional organizations, public policy leaders and judicial bodies.
The knowledge generated from GIPPEC allows scholarship and evidence to enter the public debate and decision-making in health care and by legislative bodies in a domain that has often been dominated by rhetoric and strongly held personal opinion.