In June 2025, PRC welcomed two international research visitors to Oslo University Hospital
International collaboration in focus: In early June 2025, the European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC) had the pleasure of welcoming two international research visitors to Oslo University Hospital. Their visits marked a valuable opportunity for cross-border exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experiences in palliative care research and clinical practice.
Dr. Manuela Konrad, a general practitioner from Austria, recently visited Oslo University Hospital, Radiumhospitalet, for a work-shadowing placement as part of her part-time university course in palliative medicine. She works in a geriatric clinic with a hospice unit, where she manages a long-term care ward with a palliative focus, including two dedicated hospice beds. In addition to her clinical role, Dr. Konrad holds specializations in both geriatrics and palliative medicine.
The hospital’s international reputation for its work and research in palliative care was a key reason for her visit. During her stay, she aimed to learn more about the clinical work on the ward, the outpatient clinic, and the ongoing research projects.
“It was very interesting to experience how personal the contact with patients is here in such a large clinic. The doctors didn’t seem to be under time pressure during their conversations with patients. I think it must be a good feeling for the patients to be truly heard, even though the teams have busy days. My visit reinforced my belief in how important communication is,” said Dr. Konrad.
She also explored several of PRCs research projects and was particularly interested in the MyPath initiative.
“I found MyPath especially interesting and hope that something similar will be developed in Austria. It seems like a great tool for improving the sharing of patient information and potentially saving resources.”
Dr. Konrad expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome she received during her stay.
“I take with me many valuable impressions from my visit to Oslo. Everyone was very helpful, and I hope to optimize my treatments with the new insights I’ve gained. Thank you!”
Dr Madeleine Juhrmann, a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow from Flinders University and the University of Melbourne in Australia, recently visited the PRC for a week-long sabbatical after attending the EAPC Congress in Helsinki. Madeleine has a clinical, policy and research background in emergency medicine, public health, palliative care and aged care. As part of her sabbatical, Madeleine met with each of the leads of the PRC projects to learn more about MyPath and its European implementation.
Madeleine has a special interest in advance care planning (ACP), so the PRC, through research coordinator Trine H. Gravli, arranged and connected her with the local ACP team. The team met multiple times throughout Madeleine's visit, and she was able to hear about their progress and share insights from Australian projects with relevance to current PhD work. Madeleine also connected the team with Professor Josephine Clayton, her past PhD supervisor and international thought leader in advance care planning and communication at end of life, and they look forward to continuing this partnership and seeking opportunities to collaborate down the track.
Madeleine also had the chance to share her PhD outcomes with the team, including an Australian best practice palliative paramedicine framework, and her recent work as a member of the EAPC Taskforce on Palliative Care and Emergency Medical Services. Madeleine was greatly appreciative to the whole PRC team for their warm hospitality and keen interest in cross-cultural palliative care learning and looks forward to returning again in the future, and welcoming PRC members down under too!