All information presented hereafter should be considered the opinion of Skyler Grasley the individual in an unofficial capacity, and should not be taken to represent the position of the McMaster University Department of Family Medicine, Pallium Canada, or any other Partner Projects or Institutions.
On March 25th 2025, the Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care: BC Edition, was published. This is a project I have been working on since November 2024. The Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care: BC Edition, has come about as the result of a partnership between Pallium Canada, the McMaster University Department of Family Medicine, and the BC Centre for Palliative Care.
Pallium Canada is a national registered charitable organization with a mission to: develop better training and resources in the palliative care sector, educate healthcare workers on palliative care approaches, and advance the integration of palliative care into Canadian communities and the health care system.
The BC Centre for Palliative Care is a provincial organization founded and run by the BC Government. They provide education opportunites to healthcare workers and students, test and implement innovative new strategies in palliative care, support community-based palliative care organizations, and develop and provide informational materials to British Columbians.
What is a Palliative Care Atlas? Palliative care atlases are resources that provide easy-to-read graphical and text descriptions of the status of palliative care across several domains. In this instance, the BC Atlas provides information at a Provincial level, and on a per Regional Health Authority level. They analyze and depict the state of palliative care in a political geography at a given time. Palliative Care Atlases highlight successes, identify gaps, and inform policy makers and the public alike. They are powerful tools that can be used to advocate imporvements in the palliative care sector to politicians. They are also crucial resources for clinicians, and people for family members seeking knowledge about palliative care.
What is the Status and Trajectory of Palliative Care in Canada?
Over the past two decades, the federal government, and several provincial and territorial governments, have made significant improvements in palliative care. These successes are noteworthy and merit attention. However, significant gaps persist across the country, and considerable variability exists across Canadian jurisdictions.
What are the Aims of the Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care: British Columbia Edition?
The Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care: British Columbia Edition, will:
- Describe the current state of palliative care across several domains and indicators in British Columbia and across Canada (at federal, provincial/territorial, and regional levels).
- Identify and highlight areas of strengths and successes with the goal to scale and spread.
- Identify areas for improvement.
- Raise awareness of the status of palliative care for populations that require special attention including children, 2SLGBTQI+ persons, incarcerated persons, recent immigrants and refugees, and homeless and marginally housed persons.
- Inform ongoing health system change and improvements in palliative care to ensure equitable and timely access for all who need it.
1BC Atlas of Palliative Care
The Atlas
This Atlas is available as a pdf, and also (where I come in!) a StoryMap Collection. Both can be found here.
Both the Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care: Ontario Edition, and the Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care: Alberta Edition, will be released later in 2025. Keep your eyes on this space!
And lastly, but very much not least, I would like the thank Rebecca Clark, a Research Coordinator at the department of Family Medicine, for being an outstanding colleague as I’ve worked with the department; thank you for your curiosity, you willingness to learn, and most of all, your kindness. Working together with you all on The Atlas has been a wonderful experience.
[1]Herx L., Pereira J., Clark R., Bhadresa D., Sanya N., Klinger C., and Moat J. The Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care: British Columbia Edition. 2024. Pallium Canada, Canada. ISBN 978-1-0690375-0-3