[Pain and conflicts: a comparative approach and implications for end-of-life quality of care]

Are conflicts to an organization what pain is to an organism?

To explore the similarities and the differences between pain and conflicts in palliative care settings, and to better understand the potential importance of conflicts in end of life quality of care.

Comparative and reflective methods focusing on how conflicts and pain are taken care of in health structures.

Pain and conflicts present numerous similarities such as identity, typology, prevalence, warning function, economic and social costs, denial, occultation and hurdles to appropriate management. Differences also exist regarding pain - there are prevention programs on local and international levels; there are specific research and training programs; and there is also some social visibility. This does not yet exist on a larger scale regarding conflicts.

Decision makers at clinical and public health levels should probably push to label conflicts as indicators of quality of care and develop appropriate health policy programs.