Together with Ralf Jox (University of Lausanne), I am organizing a symposium in Lausanne about the experience of suffering in the end-of-life context.

The symposium brings together researchers and clinicians from Canada, the Netherlands, and Switzerland to talk about the experience of suffering in the end-of-life context.

Summary of the symposium

Long before it cured diseases, the purpose of medical care was to alleviate suffering. However, our Western contemporary approach to suffering is changing. With the modernization of medicine, advances in technology, and the prominence of a curative approach, suffering is increasingly fought. Indeed, suffering is often treated as an enemy to conquer (using military terminology) rather than a phenomenon to comprehend. Therefore, the meaning and place of suffering are pushed to the sideline, leaving little room for the exploration of this phenomenon within the context of end-of-life care. This symposium seeks to place suffering at the forefront and provide an in-depth exploration of this phenomenon, with a particular focus on suffering at the end of life. Led by an interdisciplinary and international collective, this symposium aims to unravel both theoretical and practical aspects surrounding the experience of suffering in the context of end of life. To do this, we will shed light on the multiple facets of the experience of suffering. This includes, for example, the upheavals of living towards the end of life and living with a severe illness, fears of future suffering, loss of meaning, helplessness. The experience of suffering is also located in a relational and systemic context on which we will reflect. We will also explore the way in which patients navigate their medical trajectory accompanied by their loved ones and health professionals, and whether this trajectory also shape the experience of suffering. With this symposium, we wish to create a collaborative and informative space. A space where experts of various disciplines can share knowledge, exchange ideas and collectively contribute to a profound, nuanced and rich understanding of the experience of suffering at the end of life.

This symposium is part of my knowledge mobilization plan funded by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Société et Culture (FRQSC).

Important info

Time: April 29th – 11:00 - 17:00 CET

Zoom link: https://unil.zoom.us/j/5050742020?omn=96133683346