Collaborative networks in palliative care: Analysis of principles and models in Argentina and Colombia

Interdisciplinary networking among palliative care teams can extend beyond the healthcare setting, fostering network research and other activities that facilitate collaboration with diverse individuals and institutions. In Argentina and Colombia, notable models exemplify the potential of palliative care networking.

To identify and compare the networking practices of palliative care teams in four Argentine institutions with the principles of the Colombian palliative care network model.

Descriptive qualitative study grounded in a conceptual framework of network thinking.

Participatory observation, discussion groups, and individual interviews were conducted with palliative care teams from Argentine institutions affiliated with the Pallium Latin America Institute. The principles underlying the palliative care network model designed in Colombia were analyzed in relation to those observed in Argentina.

Four institutions participated, including two public hospitals in Buenos Aires and two private hospitals in Mar del Plata and Córdoba. Evidence of networking was found in day-to-day activities and collaborative research conducted nationally and internationally through RED-InPal. Autonomy, collaboration, adaptability, and innovation (pillars of network thinking) were reflected in the principles guiding the Colombian model. Each team engages in networking activities, and team participation in research was seen as a significant effort toward achieving long-term sustainability.

Multiple networks exist that can be established in palliative care services, forming a broad and interconnected network. Governance, dynamism, interaction, participation, sustainability, and identity are key pillars that support the ongoing strengthening of collaborative palliative care networks.