Suffering, Death and Palliative Care
Advanced European Bioethics Course
Course coordinator: Martien Pijnenburg
New developments in health care strengthen a potential of medical utopia, the promise of a better life for
everyone. This process influences the way societies and individuals deal with the end of life and with questions
regarding the meaning of suffering and death. These questions require thorough conceptual interpretation as
well as ethical reflection. In the international discussion, an important topic is whether medically hastening
death is a proper means to preserve human dignity and quality of life. An important alternative is palliative care,
defined by the WHO as the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment.
The question if adequate palliative care helps prevent the call for euthanasia needs to be carefully investigated.
Attitudes towards death and dying, and the ethical aspects of continuing or foregoing medical treatment, and of
medically assisted death receive considerable attention in this course. In addition, the dimensions of spirituality,
rituals and intercultural diversity are covered.
Objective of the course is to educate the participants on two main aspects of the subject “Suffering, Death and
Palliative Care” by highlighting ethical questions of palliative care and medically assisted death and offering
philosophical, theological and medical reflections on the concepts of death and suffering.
Programme Overview
Please note that this programme might be subject to change
Tuesday, February 14th 2012
14h30-15h30: Registration
15h30-16h00: Welcome and introduction to the course
Martien Pijnenburg
16h00-17h00: Introduction to palliative care
Kris Vissers
17h00-17h30: Refreshments
17h30-18h30: Keynote lecture: Authority in Death and Dying
Tony Walter
18h30-19h00: Discussion
19h00-............: Reception
Wednesday, February 15th 2012
09h00-10h00: Autonomy and Dependence
Evert van Leeuwen
10h00-10h15: Refreshments
10h15-11h30: Parallel session: Autonomy and beneficence in terminal illness
11h30-11h45: Refreshments
11h45-13h00: Suffering
13h00-14h00: Lunch
14h00-15h15: Scientific research in palliative care: ethical issues
Dick Willems
15h15-15h30: Refreshments
15h30-17h15: Film 'Wit'
17h15-18h00: Reflections on the film
18h00-19h00: Reception
19h00-............: Dinner
Thursday, February 16th 2012
09h00-10h00: Euthanasia: argmuents pro and contra and the Dutch approach
Martien Pijnenburg
10h00-10h15: Refreshments
10h15-11h15: Film 'Death on Request'
11h30-11h45: Refreshments
11h45-12h00: Refreshments
12h00-13h00: Palliative sedation
Stans Verhagen
13h00-14h00: Lunch
14h00-15h15: Suffering and medical friendship
Gerrit Kimsma
15h15-15h30: Refreshments
15h30-16h00: Presentation of the Nijmegen Method of Ethical Deliberation
Norbert Steinkamp
16h00-17h00: Parallel sessions: case discussion using the Nijmegen method of ethical deliberation
17h00-.17h30: Plenary session
Friday, February 17th 2012
09h00-10h00: Quality of life and a good death in palliative care
Wim Dekkers
10h00-10h15: Refreshments
10h15-11h15: Case discussion: in search of a good death
11h15-11h45: Plenary session
11h45-12h00: Refreshments
12h00-13h00: Spirituality and palliative care
Carlo Leget
13h00-14h00: Lunch
14h00-14h30: Introduction to rituals regarding death and suffering
Thomas Quartier
14h30-16h00: Interactive plenary session death, spirituality and rituals
16h00-16h30: Evaluation of the course
16h30-............: Farewell drinks
For further detailed information, click here.
Registration for the Intensive Courses in Nijmegen
