The EU PAL-COPD consortium participated in the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress 2025, where project partners shared insights, results and perspectives on integrating palliative care in the treatment of advanced COPD.
On Sunday, 28 September, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) team hosted an open scientific meeting, with invaluable support from Valerie Vaccaro and the ERS team. The event began with an introduction to EU PAL-COPD’s goals and progress, followed by engaging presentations from international clinicians:
Dr. Rodolfo Pagcatipunan Jr. (Philippines)
Prof. Dr. Yelda Varol (Turkey)
Dr. Elene Khurtsidze (Georgia)
Each speaker provided unique insights into the state of palliative care in COPD within their respective countries, revealing both differences and common challenges. Their contributions underscored the importance of international collaboration and set the stage for EU PAL-COPD’s mission of improving access to quality palliative care for people with COPD across Europe.
The session also featured Dr. Paul Marsden (Lancaster University), who presented the UK ICLEAR model, demonstrating the tangible benefits of integrating palliative care into routine COPD management. The meeting concluded with a round-table discussion exploring how to strengthen primary care involvement and overcome barriers to engaging patients in palliative care conversations.
Around 20 participants attended onsite and two online, creating a dynamic hybrid exchange that combined European and global perspectives. The meeting received excellent feedback from participants for its open, collaborative spirit and scientific value.
On Tuesday, 30 September, Michelle van der Meer presented the project’s poster titled “EU PAL-COPD: Integrating palliative care in treatment for advanced COPD across Europe”, showcasing the preparatory progress and design of the international trial study. The poster attracted strong interest from conference delegates, many of whom shared experiences and enthusiasm for advancing palliative care approaches in COPD treatment.
In preparation for the ERS Congress, the EU PAL-COPD team distributed a survey to ERS members with an interest in palliative care and COPD. The response was highly encouraging, with 123 participants expressing their willingness to learn more about the project and to take part in future activities, such as focus groups or upcoming surveys.
Additionally, EU PAL-COPD was featured at the World Village panel listing all EU projects involving ERS, ELF, and Lungs Europe, further highlighting the consortium’s contribution to the European respiratory research landscape.
The ERS Congress provided an excellent platform to raise awareness about the project and foster collaboration among clinicians, researchers, and stakeholders. The consortium extends its gratitude to all presenters, organisers, and participants who made these activities a success.
As EU PAL-COPD continues its work towards integrating palliative care into COPD management, we look forward to sharing new updates from our clinical studies and stakeholder engagement activities in the months ahead.
