Palliative care in projects funded by the European Union: when research becomes change – Part II

The roots of a European commitment:
the projects that have built the present

SIMONE VERONESE

Palliative care physician, Head of Research at FARO Foundation (Turin), and Vice President of EAPC.




Received on July 14, 2026

From the production of evidence to its dissemination

One of the most important challenges of contemporary health research is not only to produce new evidence, but to ensure that it is actually used.

The EAPC has chosen to invest heavily in this area through the use of the EMTReK (Evidence-based Model for the Transfer and Exchange of Research Knowledge) model, a framework developed to facilitate the dissemination of research results and promote continuous exchange between researchers, professionals, patients and stakeholders.

In this perspective, participation in European projects is not simply a funding opportunity, but a tool to accelerate the change in clinical practices and health policies.

A portfolio of projects that reflects the evolution of palliative care

Looking at the projects currently hosted on the Palliative Projects (https://palliativeprojects.eu/) platform, it is clear how much the very concept of palliative care has expanded in recent years.

Alongside the traditional oncology topics, we find initiatives dedicated to cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health, professional training, clinical communication, the digitization of care pathways and the measurement of patient-reported outcomes.

This variety reflects a well-established belief: palliative care does not belong to a single discipline, but represents a transversal competence that must be integrated throughout the course of the disease.

INSPIRE: rehabilitation and palliation as part of the same pathway

Among the most interesting projects is INSPIRE, which explores integrated models of palliative rehabilitation for people with advanced cancer. The goal is to overcome the traditional opposition between rehabilitation and palliative approaches, showing how the maintenance of function, autonomy and social participation can represent a central element of quality of life even in the advanced stages of the disease.

This is a particularly relevant vision because it focuses not only on the symptoms, but on the residual abilities and significant goals for the person.

RAPHAEL and integration with cardiology

Another emblematic example is RAPHAEL, a project dedicated to the integration of heart failure and palliative care. Despite the high symptomatic and prognostic burden associated with heart failure, access to palliative care still remains limited in many European countries.

RAPHAEL aims to develop organizational models and tools that foster more effective collaboration between cardiology and palliative care, helping to reduce one of the most important inequalities in access to specialist services.

EUPAL-COPD:
palliative care in respiratory diseases

With similar aims, the EUPAL-COPD project works on the integration between pulmonology and palliative care through the ICLEAR model. The goal is to offer an earlier and more structured response to the needs of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a population often characterized by high symptoms and frequent hospitalizations.

Also in this case an important message emerges: palliative care should not be considered an exclusively terminal intervention, but an integrated component of taking charge.

Digital transformation: MyPath and MyPal

Digitalization is one of the emerging themes in European healthcare and several EAPC projects are moving in this direction.

MyPath develops digital solutions aimed at person-centered oncology care, while MyPal has explored the use of electronic tools for the systematic collection of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs), promoting more accurate monitoring of patients’ symptoms and needs.

These initiatives show how technology can become an ally of care, not to replace the clinical relationship, but to make it more timely and personalized.

Training and skills development

A significant part of the European projects coordinated or supported by EAPC concerns the training of professionals.

NurseEDUPAL is dedicated to the development of palliative skills in European nursing degree courses, while INTERACT-Europe 100 aims to promote interdisciplinary training courses in the field of oncology in over one hundred European centers.

Instead, VR-TALKS uses immersive technologies to improve healthcare professionals’ communication skills in managing difficult conversations.

These projects reflect a growing awareness: the quality of palliative care depends as much on technical knowledge as on communication and interpersonal skills.

Mental health, psychological needs and caregiver support

Other studies address dimensions that are often less visible but just as relevant.

PSYPAL is evaluating the possible use of psilocybin in the treatment of psychological suffering associated with advanced diseases, while DIAdIC is developing psychoeducational interventions aimed at cancer patients and their caregivers simultaneously.

These are initiatives that remind us how palliative care has always maintained a global vision of suffering, including psychological, social and existential aspects.

An opportunity for the Italian community

For the SICP community, European projects represent an extraordinary resource.

They allow you to compare yourself with colleagues from different health systems, acquire advanced methodological skills, contribute to the production of new evidence and participate in the processes that will influence the future of European palliative care. They also make it possible to transform the wealth of skills developed in Italy into a concrete contribution to the growth of the discipline at an international level.

Looking ahead

If the EAPC white papers have contributed to building a common language of European palliative care, the projects funded by the European Union today represent one of the main tools for translating that language into concrete innovation.

Participating in these projects means contributing not only to the growth of research, but to the construction of more equitable, integrated health systems capable of responding to the needs of people living with serious illnesses and their families.

After all, this is precisely the most authentic mission of the EAPC: to transform European collaboration into a real improvement in patients’ lives.

Conflict of interests: the author declares the absence of conflict of interests.