McGill Programs In Whole Person Care
Traditionally, the existential and spiritual aspects of illness and their relationship to health care outcomes, have received limited attention with the educational and research environment of North America. In recognition of this fact, the McGill Programs in Integrated Whole Persons Care were instituted in February 1999 on the initiative of Dean Abraham Fuks and Dr. Balfour Mount. The initial proposal to develop and to implement the programs established the need for further research studies and educational programs that address the subjective experience of illness so as to include the spiritual and/or existential components of personhood, as well as the physical and emotional elements that are currently the focus of attention in the medical profession.
The McGill programs are based on the premise that in situations in which treatment is unable to change the disease outcome, it may be possible to create a space in which healing can occur. Lessons about quality of life and individuation, learned in the arena of advanced illness, also have relevance earlier in the disease trajectory and for those who are physically well. While the existential/spiritual domain is known to be an important determinant of quality of life, there has been little emphasis on integration of the issues in health care. The Program therefore seek to integrate the physical aspects of personhood along with the psychosocial and existential/spiritual ones, and to better understand how to respond to suffering experienced by the whole person.
Programs:
Film Series
Seminar Series
Publications
For more information please visit the website.