'role of palliative care during a pandemic': Contribution for a pandemic plan

Aim or goal of the work: Italy was the first European country to experience COVID-19 emergency. This, in particular, in Lombardy and the northern regions. In anticipation of a second wave, in October 2020, the Italian Palliative Care Society (SICP) and the Palliative Care Federation (FCP) drew up the document: 'ROLE OF PALLIATIVE CARE DURING A PANDEMIC'. Design, methods and approach adopted: Scientific literature was analyzed to study the most effective items in a pandemic plan. The document considers both the specificities of the Italian Health System and the experiences that were carried out in the first months of the emergency. Additionally, in June 2020, FCP surveyed to measure the impact of the pandemic on Non-Profit Organizations. 22 questions about volunteering, fundraising, health workers and care, were submitted to 73 Organizations, 44 of whom managing Hospice or Home Care Units. Results: Following a model that classifies the activities in four areas, staff-stuff-space-systems, the document ends with some recommendations for the planning of a Pandemic Plan to ensure adequate responses to the palliative care needs in health emergency and, in particular, in the Sars-CoV-2 epidemic. Conclusion / Lessons Learned: Palliative care specialist teams were involved in counselling for COVID-19 in hospitals. Some Hospices converted for treating COVID patients, and Home Care Units adjusted to face the growing demand from COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. In general, however, patients affected by COVID-19 could not access palliative care, that would have allowed the control of symptoms, the communication with family members, psychological support and the promotion of decision-making processes.