The inauguration ceremony of the University Master's Degree in Palliative Care offered by the University of Malaga in collaboration with the Cudeca Cancer Care Hospice took place on 27 September.

The event, presided over by the Vice-rector for Postgraduate Studies, Mr. Gaspar Garrote, was attended by Pablo Lara, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine; Antonio Lara, Academic Director of FGUMA; Rosa Esteve, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology; Charo Castilla, representing the Dean of the Faculty of Social and Labour Studies; Ana Rosa del Ávila, José Antonio González Correa; Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, and Marisa Martín, Chief Executive and Medical Director of the Cudeca Hospice.

In his speech, Antonio Lara highlighted the importance for society of the alliance between the university and CUDECA, by uniting their efforts to improve society in the training of health professionals. The combination of CUDECA's healthcare experience and UMA's scientific knowledge has resulted in one of the best postgraduate courses in CP in Spain.

An interdisciplinary Master's, such as the care of Cudeca

The same idea was deepened by the different deans who participated in the act, highlighting that the Master in Palliative Care of the Cudeca Hospice is the only one that can be considered whole and truly interdisciplinary. Both in subjects and practices, the Master is structured through theoretical and practical training on the clinical, psycho-social and ethical elements that should guide the professionals who care for people in advanced and terminal illness and their families. It is, therefore, as Pablo Lara, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the UMA, stressed, a master's degree of a humanistic scientific nature.

UMA and CUDECA, eight years of collaboration

The ceremony was closed by the Vice Rector for Postgraduate Studies, who recalled the long history of collaboration between UMA and CUDECA, which began eight years ago with an expert diploma and has grown to offer today the third edition of a university master's degree.

After the event, the inaugural conference of the Master took place by Dr. Susana Pascual, pioneer in the development of palliative care in Malaga and now responsible for that unit in the Clinical University Hospital of Malaga. The speaker recalled the beginnings of the specialty in Malaga in the 1990s, when there were no palliative care units. At that time, people interested in the subject travelled to England to be trained. For this reason, in the words of the lecturer, the new Master's students could be considered privileged to have such a high level of training here in Malaga.

The Cudeca Hospice, the first hospice in Spain, makes available to the training of professionals its 25 years of experience in assistance and accompaniment at the end of life, offering, together with the University of Malaga, the Master in Palliative Care. Its objective is to offer an integral and innovative education in the clinical, psychic, social and spiritual intervention of people in situation of advanced and terminal illness, looking for the well-being and the promotion of the dignity and autonomy of each patient and his family.

CUDECA's healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, physiotherapists) are part of the teaching staff of the Master, which also has faculty from the Faculties of Psychology, Medicine, Law and Social Studies and Work at the UMA.

The CUDECA hospice experience: comprehensive care

The Master aims to train health professionals with a modern conception of "palliative care". It proposes an innovative model for the treatment of terminal illness, based on comprehensive care, accompaniment, continuity and coordination, communication, ethical reflection and teamwork based on evidence. This conception, which is none other than CUDECA's special kind of caring, is what is offered in the Master's degree.

Curriculum

The curriculum includes a professional module that includes eminently practical training in the comprehensive assessment of the main symptoms of the terminally ill patient and their palliative treatment. It guides students in dealing with the patient's symptoms at the end of life, either with pharmacological treatment or with other procedures. Likewise, the program trains in the identification and management of the emotional, social and spiritual needs of the patient and his/her family, as well as in communication tools, a fundamental part of the therapeutic process. The Master also includes training in the legislative and ethical aspects of the end of life.

In addition to the professional module, the Master includes a research module for methodological training in quantitative and qualitative research, statistics and data analysis in palliative care. The program has compulsory professional practices, which are carried out entirely at the Cudeca Hospice, through rotation with the hospice´s medical care teams in all its areas of work: In-Patient unit, Home Care and Day Care Unit.

Collaborations and prices

CUDECA's professionals and the professors of the five Faculties of the University of Malaga, with their time, experience and quality of training, collaborate for free with the Diploma and Master for the benefit of CUDECA's welfare work, thus achieving a competitive and attractive price for future students. In addition, the University of Malaga donates the full amount of tuition to the Cudeca Hospice for the development of its cause.

More information

·        Blended learning methodology

·        Duration: October 2018 - September 2019

·        Pre-registration: 25 June to 4 October 2018

·        Registration date: October 21 to 5 November, 2018

·        Location: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malaga and Cudeca Hospice, Benalmádena

·        Contact:

-        María Luisa Ruiz García, Director. Department of Nursing University of Malaga: ml_ruiz@uma.es

-        Belén Moncada Durruti, Head of Training and Research Fundación Cudeca: belenmoncada@cudeca.org