Twitter chat is third in series launched following December 2016 session on end of life care
A global discussion on issues affecting care toward the end of life will focus on a new area by challenging people to think about how much they’ve prepared for their death.
As part of the Salzburg Questions series, people will be asked to provide their thoughts to this question using the #allmylifeQs hashtag on Twitter.
April’s question - How have you prepared for your death? - will launch on Friday, April 7, coinciding with World Health Day. Dr. Suresh Kumar (@DrSureshKumar), a palliative care physician and health activist, will lead the online discussion.
Since February 20, people from all across the planet have taken part in the conversation on Twitter, answering questions related to palliative care.
Each question is tied to an international day of observation and led by different individuals and institutions at the heart of the debate. These people were involved in a Salzburg Global session in December: Rethinking Care Toward the End of Life.
The first question, which launched in February, was asked by Salzburg Global Fellow and former Minister of Health in Rwanda Agnes Binagwaho. She asked, “Why aren’t countries accountable to commitment on end of life (#EOL) care for vulnerable people?”
The second question, which coincided with World Happiness Day last month, was asked by Lynna Chandra - an ex-investment banker who left for the not-for-profit world in 2006 to establish Rachel House. She posed the question, “Is dying well as important as living well?”
At the time of writing, the #allmylifeQs hashtag has generated more than 6.7 million impressions on Twitter. There have been more than 1,500 tweets posted and 300 participants across the world involved.
Salzburg Global is encouraging as many Fellows as possible to join in with this conversation on the day, beforehand, and afterward.
People are also encouraged to write blogs, which could be hosted on ehospice; the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) blog; Palliverse; and the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) newsletter. Vlogs are also welcome and should be sent to katie.witcombe@kcl.ac.uk so they can be posted to a dedicated YouTube channel.
Please join in the conversation on Friday, which coincides with World Health Day, and remember to use the hashtag #allmylifeQs.
A Twitter list of Salzburg Global Health Fellows has been created. If you would like to be added to this list, please let us know by subscribing or contacting us on Twitter at @SalzburgGlobal.
List of dates, questions, and people leading discussions
20 February 2017 - World Day of Social Justice - Why aren't countries accountable to commitment on #EOL care for vulnerable people? - Agnes Binagwaho
20 March 2017 - World Happiness Day - Is dying well as important as living well? - Lynna Chandra
07 April 2017 - World Health Day - How have you prepared for your death? - Suresh Kumar
15 May 2017 - World Family Day - Will caring for your dying loved one bankrupt you emotionally and financially? - Sheila Payne
20 June 2017 - World Refugee Day - 145 countries signed bit.ly/2ah31bH why do refugees have limited access to quality health care and #EOL care? - Emmanuel Luyirika
17 July 2017 - World Population Day - How and what do you measure to ensure palliative & EOL care? - Richard Harding
28 September 2017 - International Right to Know Day - Doctors, Nurses, do you want to die the way your patients die? - Bruce Chernof
13 October 2017 - World Hospice and Palliative Care Day* - Do you know how to access #palliative care when you need it? - Stephen Connor
10 November 2017 - World Science Day for Peace and Development - What future research is needed to improve care for people with advanced illness & towards the end of life? - Irene Higginson
*This year's World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is taking place on Saturday, October 14. We will launch the question the day before to generate more discussion.