Learning Institute Abstracts

Abstracts are now closed for the 2026-2027 Virtual Learning Institute.  

Abstracts are Now Closed

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association is no longer accepting submissions for the 2026-2027 Virtual Learning Institute, a virtual workshop series. 

 CHPCA would like to thank everyone who submitted an abstract. 

Learning Institute Streams

Clinical Practice: (e.g., symptom management, pain control, interprofessional collaboration, pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions)

Equity, Inclusion & Special Populations (e.g., pediatrics, 2SLGBTQIA+, long-term care, prison populations, racialized communities, disability, rural & remote care).

Indigenous Communities & Culturally Safer Care: (e.g., Indigenous-led models, culturally safe care, land-based healing, community engagement, traditional knowledge sharing).

Health Systems & Models of Care: (e.g., workforce development, palliative care integration, public health, funding models, leadership, community-based care).

Advance Care Planning: (e.g., legal & ethical considerations, family conversations, decision-making tools, ACP in diverse communities, advance directives).

Grief, Bereavement & Psychosocial Support: (e.g., mental health, trauma-informed care, caregiver support, spiritual care, grief across the lifespan, cultural approaches to loss).

Policy, Advocacy & Ethics: (e.g., human rights, MAID, legal & regulatory frameworks, health equity policies, access to palliative care, advocacy strategies).

Innovation & Technology in Palliative Care (e.g., telehealth, AI, digital tools, emerging therapies, research advancements, virtual care models, assistive technology).

Clinical Practice stream

  • Symptom management and pain control
  • Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions
  • Interprofessional and team-based care
  • Care for complex and comorbid patients
  • End-of-life options (e.g., treatment withdrawal, palliative sedation, MAID, etc.)
  • Integrating psychosocial and spiritual support into clinical care (e.g., collaboration, referral models)
  • Volunteer roles in clinical care settings
  • Innovative clinical care models (e.g., home hospice, mobile units)
  • Primary versus specialist palliative care delivery
  • Clinician wellness and self-care (e.g., burnout prevention, compassion fatigue, resilience strategies)
  • Care partners and caregiver collaboration (e.g., engaging caregivers as part of the care team, shared planning, clinical communication)

Equity, Inclusion & Special Populations stream

  • Equity in access to palliative care services
  • Culturally safer care for diverse communities
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusive care approaches
  • Palliative care and mental health integration
  • Supporting people who use substances
  • Care for people experiencing homelessness or unstable housing
  • Disability- and neurodivergence-informed care
  • Care in correctional and justice-involved settings
  • Long-term care and palliative care service integration
  • Rural, remote, and northern community care
  • Palliative care in pediatric and adolescent populations
  • Ethical considerations in equity-focused care delivery

Indigenous Communities and Culturally Safer Care stream

  • Indigenous-led palliative care and end-of-life care models
  • Land-based, holistic, and community-centred healing practices
  • Cultural protocols and knowledge sharing
  • Engagement with Elders, families, and community leaders
  • Education and training for culturally safer care
  • Traditional knowledge, language, and ceremony in care delivery
  • Shared decision-making and consent in Indigenous contexts

Health Systems & Models of Care stream

  • Integration of a palliative care approach in non–palliative care specialties (e.g., oncology, respirology, geriatrics)
  • Public health models for palliative and end-of-life care
  • Leadership development and workforce sustainability
  • Strategic and organizational planning for sustainable palliative care delivery
  • Organizational practices that support quality care delivery (e.g., clinical supervision, team meetings, early identification)
  • System navigation, continuity of care, and transitions
  • Volunteerism and informal caregiving in system design and policy
  • Funding models, service delivery, and resource allocation
  • Cross-sectoral collaboration (e.g., primary care, long-term care, acute care)
  • Policy implementation and health system transformation
  • Organizational approaches to workforce wellness (e.g., psychological safety, workload management, burnout prevention)
  • Public engagement and building compassionate communities

Advance Care Planning stream

  • Serious illness and goals-of-care communication
  • Tools and resources for planning and documentation
  • Technology-enabled ACP
  • Emotional, psychological, and cultural barriers to planning
  • Legal and ethical issues related to ACP
  • Implementation and system-level integration of ACP
  • Public awareness and community education and engagement in ACP

Grief, Bereavement & Psychosocial Support stream

  • Grief literacy, public education, and building community capacity for grief support
  • Psychosocial support for patients, families, and care teams
  • Caregiver wellness and bereavement services
  • Spiritual care and culturally appropriate grief support
  • Trauma-informed grief and bereavement care
  • Grief in specific populations (e.g., children, racialized groups, disenfranchised grief)
  • Grief and bereavement following MAID
  • Program development, evaluation, sustainability, and funding for grief and bereavement support

Policy, Advocacy & Ethics stream

  • Health and human rights in palliative care policy
  • Legal and regulatory frameworks across jurisdictions
  • MAID from a policy, legal, and ethical perspective
  • Advocacy strategies to influence public and political discourse
  • Public messaging and education campaigns to influence policy or societal awareness
  • Economic impact, funding models, and value-based care in palliative care policy
  • Ethics in clinical and community practice (e.g., consent, autonomy, decision-making)
  • Organizational and equity-informed policy development and implementation (local, national, global)

Innovation & Technology in Palliative Care stream

  • Telehealth and virtual care delivery models
  • Artificial intelligence and predictive tools
  • Emerging technologies in communication, monitoring, and care
  • Assistive technology for patients and caregivers
  • Technology-enabled tools and platforms
  • Technology for equitable access in rural or underserved communities
  • Data infrastructure, interoperability, and digital systems

Research, pilot programs, and digital tool evaluation

Submission Guidelines

Please review the submission guidelines before beginning your abstract submission.

Abstract Application

Please Note: After submitting your abstract, you will not be able to make edits through the submission form. If edits are required before the submission deadline, please contact [email protected]. 

Abstract submission will close on March 31, 2026.