Heatwaves expose a blind spot in palliative care
BRUSSELS, 3 August 2026 – Whilst recent heatwaves have reignited the debate on air conditioning in residential care homes and the protection of vulnerable older people, the impact of climate change on palliative care appears to be scarcely regarded as a research priority at international level. This is a striking conclusion from a white paper by the End-of-Life Care research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University, commissioned by the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC). The white paper, led by Dr Steven Vanderstichelen, sets out the research priorities for palliative care from a public health perspective for the coming decade. To this end, experts from sixteen countries ranked 47 potential research topics.
“It is striking that the impact of climate change on palliative care ends up at the very bottom of the list of priorities, ” says Steven Vanderstichelen. “Yet recent heatwaves demonstrate just how vulnerable older people and those with serious illnesses are to extreme temperatures. Current events make it clear that this issue is likely to become even more important in the coming years.”
According to Vanderstichelen, the low ranking does not mean that climate change is unimportant. “Above all, it shows that there is currently little international consensus on its urgency compared with other challenges in palliative care. For the time being, experts are prioritising issues relating to social inequality, inclusion and the way in which research itself is organised.”
According to the study, the highest priority is given to the representation and inclusion of older people and those in structurally vulnerable positions. In addition, the experts are calling for greater attention to be paid to social support in the final stages of life outside traditional care settings.
“The research agenda is clearly shifting from a purely medical approach to a broader societal vision of palliative care, ” says Vanderstichelen. “We need to better understand how social networks, the living environment and the organisation of neighbourhoods contribute to quality of life in the final stages of life.”
The researchers also argue that a change of course is needed in terms of methodology. Traditional clinical research designs are increasingly inadequate for evaluating complex social interventions. The white paper therefore advocates greater use of Big Data, participatory action research and evaluation methods that focus on understanding why something works, for whom and under what circumstances. The researchers therefore do not view the low priority given to climate change as an end in itself, but as an invitation to debate.
“The discussion about heatwaves, care homes and the protection of vulnerable older people shows that the social context is changing rapidly, ” concludes Vanderstichelen. “Our research makes it clear that, in the coming years, scientists will need to consider whether the research agenda should evolve accordingly. It is a typical example of a topic which we know today may become important, but on which there is still insufficient knowledge and consensus.”
Reference:
Vanderstichelen S, Tishelman C, Heide AV, McIlfatrick S, Sallnow L, Deliens L, Cohen J. EAPC White Paper: What are the priorities for Public Health & Palliative Care research in the coming decade? Results from an International Delphi study. Palliat Med. 22 February 2026:2692163261418440. doi: 10.1177/02692163261418440. Epub ahead of print.
Contact:
Dr Steven Vanderstichelen: steven.vanderstichelen@vub.be
Tineke Sonck
