Research and publications

Population ageing, extension of the end of life and increased medicalization pose many complex public health challenges. Among these, there is a discordance between the preferences expressed by the population and the reality of the current situation. Nearly 70% of the Swiss wish to die at home, whereas in reality 37% of deaths occur in hospital, 44% in nursing homes and 19% at home.

Moreover, many gaps in medical research exist: for example, clinical trials rarely include elderly people (80 years and over). Furthermore, end-of-life research is also often avoided due to the methodological difficulties it presents.

The Chair relies on the clinical expertise of professionals from the palliative care and support services and geriatrics and geriatric rehabilitation services of the CHUV, who are involved in numerous research projects, to make progress on these issues.

In 2018, the Chair published, in collaboration with several partners, a White Paper which suggests directions for the development of geriatric palliative care in French-speaking Switzerland. It can be accessed through the following link (available only in French and German).