The project aims at (1) describing and comparing the Swiss and South African

Palliative Care (PC) existing structures and services in public hospital settings ; (2)

identifying the specific areas where the Swiss model could be implemented in SA

hospitals; (4) identifying the specific areas where the South African model could be of

help in Swiss hospitals.

The common aim of the four Swiss and South African applicants – and their

collaborators – is to describe, analyze and compare the present development of PC in

public university hospital settings in a rigorous, scientific and understandable manner.

All applicants agree that the purpose of their project has a great practical and socially

relevance. The Swiss partners will focus their attention upon the ethical (Isabelle

Wienand) and the social (Elisio Macamo) aspects of PC. The South African partners will

concentrate on the philosophical-psychological (Abraham Olivier) and public political

(Malcolm de Roubaix) dimensions of PC.

Our SSAJR project has a clear innovative strength in today's research in PC as well as

a social impact, inasmuch as it (1) studies how the quality of life and autonomy of

end-of-life patients can be promoted and respected; (2) contributes to international PC

research by comparing Swiss and South African existing settings (3) explores the

potentialities of PC as a humane and patient-oriented medicine that could also be a

financial relief.

The research will be conducted on a (1) conceptual/theoretical level and (2) empirical

level. (1) will explore the different views on PC and discuss the major ethical, medical

and cultural challenges. (2) The empirical level will find out the opinions of different

key informants/stakeholders on PC (quantitative and qualitative analyses).

The research project will be conducted on a (1) conceptual/theoretical and (2) empirical

level. (1) will explore the different views on PC and discuss the major ethical, medical

and cultural challenges. (2) the empirical level will find out the opinions of different

stakeholders on PC.