NRP 67 “End of Life” has ended
The eight-year National Research Programme NRP 67 “End of Life” was concluded in March 2019.
NRP 67 provided a rare opportunity to examine the many facets of the end of life in Switzerland and to discuss the Programme’s findings with scientists, politicians and experts in a variety of practical areas. The eight-year NRP, to which 33 teams of researchers contributed, ended in March 2019.
The significance of NRP 67 has to be viewed in the context of current developments. Living wills, access to palliative care, assisted suicide, caring for dying relatives, treatment decisions, the supply situation, supply shortfalls, cost issues and the legal framework are just some of the issues currently affecting the general public, political decision-makers and healthcare facilities – such as hospitals, retirement homes and care homes – in equal measure. This diversity is reflected in the research projects undertaken as part of NRP 67.
Concluding Information from the NRP 67
All the concluding information from the Programme can be found on the NRP 67 website. In addition to information on individual projects – such as result summaries, references to further reading and contact addresses – this includes information on the programme itself: the portrait of the NRP 67, an NRP 67 Synthesis Report to provide inspiration for decision-makers and partners in the real-world environment, and the book Das Lebensende in der Schweiz - Individuelle und gesellschaftliche Perspektiven (“End of life in Switzerland: individual and societal perspectives”). This publication is an in-depth treatise on what is currently known and scientifically substantiated about the processes of dying, end-of-life decisions, end-of-life care, financial and legal considerations and ideals of dying. Finally, there is a series of podcasts in which several members of the Steering Committee, stakeholders and a relative of a dying person reflect on the results of NRP 67. What significance does the NRP have for research debates and real-world practice? Which results have already produced an effect? And where are there still gaps in our knowledge?