title: The WHO collaborating centre for public health palliative care programs: an innovative approach of palliative care development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The designation of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (Barcelona, Spain) as World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Public Health Palliative Care Programmes (WHOCC-ICO) in February 2008 turns the institution into the first ever center of international reference in regards to palliative care implementation from a public health perspective. The center aims to provide support to countries willing to develop palliative care programs, to identify models of success, to support WHO's policies, and to generate and spread evidence on palliative care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article describes the WHOCC-ICO's contribution in the implementation of public health palliative care programs and services. The center's main features and future actions are emphasized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of the initial four-year designation period, the organization evaluates the task done to reach its objectives. Such global assessment would take forward the quality of the institution, and generate a revision of its terms of reference for the next designation period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on new evidence, the center has recently decided to expand its scope by adopting a community-wide chronic care approach which moves beyond cancer and focuses on the early identification of patients with any chronic disease in need of palliative care. Moreover, the center advocates the development of comprehensive models of care that address patients' psychosocial needs. This center's new work plan includes additional significant innovations, such as the startup of the first chair of palliative care in Spain. Such a whole new approach responds to the main challenges of current palliative care.
authors.affiliation: The Qualy Observatory, WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Palliative Care Programmes, Catalan Institute of Oncology , Barcelona, Spain .
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ela
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Muñoz
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lasmarías
authors.forename: Elba
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beas
authors.forename: Dolors
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mateo-Ortega
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Novellas
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gómez-Batiste
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011634:Public Health / Q000639:trends*; D013030:Spain; D014944:World Health Organization