VLPM9X1c Palliative Medicine

Faculty of Medicine
spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. MUDr. Jan Maláska, Ph.D., EDIC (lecturer)
prof. MUDr. Eva Vlčková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
MUDr. Kateřina Havlíčková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
MUDr. Ladislav Kabelka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
MUDr. Ondřej Sláma, Ph.D. (lecturer)
MUDr. Danica Zapletalová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
MUDr. Lenka Knoppová (lecturer)
MUDr. Lucie Světláková (lecturer)
MUDr. Lenka Šmardová (lecturer)
MUDr. Václav Trmač (lecturer)
MUDr. Petra Vysočanová (lecturer)
MUDr. Dobromila Vrabcová (lecturer)
MUDr. Martina Žižlavská (lecturer)
Bc. Lenka Sobotková (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. MUDr. Jan Maláska, Ph.D., EDIC
Department of Palliative and Supportive Care – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine
Contact Person: Bc. Lenka Sobotková
Supplier department: Department of Palliative and Supportive Care – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine
Timetable of Seminar Groups
VLPM9X1c/10: Mon 1. 6. 8:00–11:20 F37/429, 8:00–11:20 F37/431, Tue 2. 6. 8:00–11:20 F37/431, 8:00–11:20 F37/429, Wed 3. 6. 8:00–11:20 F37/431, 8:00–11:20 F37/429, Thu 4. 6. 8:00–11:20 F37/431, 8:00–11:20 F37/429, Fri 5. 6. 8:00–11:20 F37/431, 8:00–11:20 F37/429
VLPM9X1c/11: Mon 16. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Tue 17. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Wed 18. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Thu 19. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Fri 20. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365
VLPM9X1c/12: Mon 9. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365, Tue 10. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365, Wed 11. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365, Thu 12. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Fri 13. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365
VLPM9X1c/13: Mon 8. 6. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Tue 9. 6. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Wed 10. 6. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Thu 11. 6. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365, Fri 12. 6. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364
VLPM9X1c/14: Tue 7. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365, Wed 8. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365, Thu 9. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Fri 10. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365
VLPM9X1c/15: Mon 30. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Tue 31. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Wed 1. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Thu 2. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364
VLPM9X1c/16: Mon 23. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Tue 24. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Wed 25. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Thu 26. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Fri 27. 3. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364
VLPM9X1c/17: Mon 20. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/349, Tue 21. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/349, Wed 22. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/349, Thu 23. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/349, Fri 24. 4. 8:00–11:20 F37/349
VLPM9X1c/18: Mon 4. 5. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365, Tue 5. 5. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364, Wed 6. 5. 8:00–11:20 F37/364, 8:00–11:20 F37/365, Thu 7. 5. 8:00–11:20 F37/365, 8:00–11:20 F37/364
Prerequisites (in Czech)
VLCH0832p Surgery II - lectures
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Abstract
The aim of the course is to acquire basic competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes) in the field of care for patients in advanced and terminal stages of incurable diseases – in palliative care.
Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

- Understand the basic concepts of palliative care (palliative care, autonomy, quality of life), general and specialized palliative care

- Manage the most common symptoms: treatment of pain, anxiety, nausea, depression, delirium, shortness of breath

- Demonstrate communication in the context of serious illness: value history, understanding of the disease, care goals and plan, family conference

- Discuss the specifics of palliative care in various fields: internal medicine, oncology, geriatrics, neurology, psychiatry, intensive care medicine, pediatric palliative care

- Explain and formulate the basic aspects of end-of-life care: clinical, ethical, and legal aspects of end-of-life care, limitations of care, management of terminal phase symptoms, spiritual needs

Key topics

  • Basic concepts of palliative care: suffering, quality of life, personalized (patient values and preferences) approach, general and specialized palliative care, forms of specialized palliative care, trajectories of palliative-relevant diagnoses, care plan
  • Assessment of symptom burden and psychological distress (medical history and work with validated questionnaires)
  • Pharmacology of the most common drugs in palliative care (analgesics, antiemetics, anxiolytics, antidepressants, antipsychotics)
  • Ethical aspects of end-of-life care (autonomy, competence, palliative sedation, euthanasia)
  • Legal aspects of end-of-life care (physician's duty to treat, concept of limitation of care, concept of appropriate care, legal capacity, limited legal capacity, forms of substitute decision-making, advance directives)
  • Treatment of chronic cancer and non-cancer pain
  • Management of anxiety, depression, and delirium in the context of serious somatic illness
  • Communication about serious diagnoses and poor prognoses
  • Communication about goals and care plans in the context of serious illness

  • Palliative management of digestive and respiratory symptoms (loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, malignant intestinal obstruction, shortness of breath, coughing)
    • Spirituality, spiritual needs – assessment and options for supportive interventions
    • Care for dying patients
    • Conducting family conferences in the context of palliative care
    • Documenting previously expressed wishes
    • Palliative care in internal medicine
    • Palliative care in intensive care medicine
    • Palliative care in oncology
    • Palliative care and geriatrics
    • Pediatric palliative care
    • Loss of a loved one, grief, mourning, options for caring for the bereaved
    • Serious illness, dying, and death from a public health perspective
    • Final reflection


    Study resources and literature
      required literature
    • SLÁMA, Ondřej and Ladislav KABELKA. Paliativní medicína pro praxi. Třetí, přepracované a rozšíř. 352 stran. ISBN 978-80-7492-627-3. info
    • Paliativní medicína pro nemocniční lékaře : kazuistiky z každodenní praxe. Edited by David Wang - Kate Aberger, Translated by Irena Závadová. 1. vydání. V Praze: Cesta domů, 2023, 250 stran. ISBN 9788088455004. info
    • SLÁMA, Ondřej and Tereza VAFKOVÁ. Paliativní péče. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2020. Elportál. ISBN 978-80-210-9628-8. PURL, html, url info
      recommended literature
    • KABELKA, Ladislav. Nemocné rozhovory : komunikace a narativní terapie s nevyléčitelně nemocnými pacienty a jejich blízkými. Praha: Grada Publishing, 2020, 237 stran. ISBN 9788027116881. info
    Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
    Role-playing in groups, facilitated discussion, TBL case study discussion, PBL lessons, simulations
    Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
    Continuous answering of questions in an interactive outline before each exercise. The course ends with a written online test.
    Alternate completion
    Participation in the exercise is mandatory; one unexcused absence is accepted.
    Language of instruction
    Czech
    Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
    Study Materials
    The course is taught each semester.
    Information on course enrolment limitations: Předmět je určen studentům 5. ročníku VL.
    Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
    The course is also listed under the following terms autumn 2025.
    • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/med/spring2026/VLPM9X1c