25OPCC Call for Abstracts
Closing Monday 17 February

Abstract Submission Portal

Palliative Care Australia (PCA) is the national peak body for palliative care and represents all those who work towards providing high quality palliative care for all Australians. Our mission is to influence, foster and promote the delivery of quality palliative care for all who need it, when and where they need it.

Together with Palliative Care Queensland, we are the proud hosts of the 2025 Oceanic Palliative Care Conference (25OPCC) and are delighted to welcome the health and care sectors to Brisbane, 10 to 12 September 2025.

Contribute to the program – we value your expertise

The 25OPCC Program Committee invites you to share your insights at 25OPCC by submitting an abstract for consideration. Your experience is a vital part of the knowledge and growth that OPCC offers to the palliative care community and wider health and care disciplines.

Whether you're sharing the latest research, a successful project, a fresh idea, a volunteer experience, or a consumer story, we want to hear it all—both the good and the challenging. We encourage abstract submissions not only from the palliative care sector but also from related disciplines, and not just from Australia and New Zealand, but across the broader Oceanic and Asia-Pacific region.

If you haven’t done this before, thanks for considering it and putting yourself forward; — rest assured our Abstract Mentoring Program is here to support you every step of the way. For more information please click here.

Why submit an abstract?

Share your work with peers in the health sector
Enhance your presentation and communication skills
Get valuable feedback and inspire fresh ideas for your projects
Expand your network, grow your reputation, and increase your influence within the palliative care community

25OPCC theme - Connecting Systems for Better Care

25OPCC will engage delegates in addressing some of the most pressing challenges in the design and delivery of palliative care today. One key issue is the fragmentation between different care systems that people living with life-limiting illnesses and their families must navigate. Too often, they receive disjointed care, falling through the cracks as they move between services. To tackle this, 25OPCC will focus on the theme Connecting Systems for Better Care.

This critical conversation will explore how we can improve collaboration between palliative care and the broader health and community sectors, ensuring more seamless, integrated support for those who need it most.

We’re keen to hear from you – it’s your experience that makes OPCC such a valuable conference.

PRESENTATION STREAMS

We invite you to submit abstracts using the following streams as a guide. When preparing your submission, we encourage you to approach the topic from your area of expertise. For example, if your focus is paediatric palliative care, you can address any stream from a paediatric perspective. This applies similarly to other key population groups or professional specialisations.

1. Models of Care and Access for Diverse Populations

This stream explores innovative ways to provide palliative care for diverse and underserved populations. It covers the codesign of services, integration with aged care systems, and promoting cultural and social inclusion. Special attention is given to priority groups like First Nations and Indigenous communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people experiencing homelessness, prisoners, refugees, and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. The stream also addresses challenges in regional, rural, and remote areas, including developing countries, and highlights the role of technology, AI, and digital innovation in improving access to care.

2. Clinical Care and Symptom Management

This stream focuses on new strategies for managing non-cancer conditions and addresses the challenges of critical symptoms such as fatigue, coughing, itching, diarrhoea, swallowing difficulties, mobility issues, frailty, seizures, breathlessness, nutrition, and communication. It also highlights innovations in pain and symptom management, while exploring ethical considerations around palliative sedation and informed consent.

3. Voluntary Assisted Dying

This stream examines the experiences and lessons learned from voluntary assisted dying practices. It covers topics such as effective communication with patients and families, ethical and legal challenges, and managing grief in the context of assisted dying.

4. Workforce Development and Sustainable Practices

This stream addresses the development and sustainability of the palliative care workforce. Topics include interdisciplinary team collaboration, workforce reform, and cross-sector training. It also explores building careers in palliative care, promoting sustainable practices and leadership in wellbeing, maintaining volunteer programs, and the important role of generalists in palliative care.

5. Education, Research, and Policy

Addresses translating research into practice and creating robust policy frameworks to improve access to palliative care. This section also examines the economics of palliative care, the role of governmental and non-governmental organisations, and strategies for ensuring equitable care across the population.

6. Supporting Quality of Life and Death

This stream emphasises the importance of trauma-informed care in palliative settings, focusing on addressing the spiritual, emotional, and psychosocial needs of patients, families, and carers. It explores ways to support wellbeing through creative therapies, rehabilitation, and the management of critical physical functions, all aimed at enhancing overall quality of life.

7. Community Engagement and Support: From Local to Global

This stream highlights the significance of community engagement and international collaboration in palliative care, emphasising the progression from local community involvement to national, regional, and global efforts. It focuses on connecting care systems to local stakeholders while addressing global challenges and sharing best practices. By encouraging cross-border learning and cooperation, this stream aims to strengthen palliative care at every level, from grassroots initiatives to international collaboration.

Instructions for submitting your abstract:

We welcome abstracts which present original research and experiences, projects and their evaluation, and showcase innovative practice. All abstracts must be submitted electronically via the online submission portal by Monday 17 February 2025. Emailed submissions will not be accepted.

Research must be completed prior to abstract submission to be considered.

When submitting your abstract consider which of the following conference formats might suit you and your subject matter:

Presentation formats
Oral Presentation – concurrent sessions	20 minutes, includes 5 minutes questions
Short form presentation	7-minute presentations
Poster Presentations	Static poster displays, A0 size, portrait Presenters must register to attend the conference and stand by their poster during the poster session
Workshops	45 minutes or 90 minutes Interactive, skill-building, hands-on

Abstracts that are selected for presentation at 250PCC should appeal to an intelligent, but non-specialist audience. Each abstract will be ranked against the following selection criteria:

Quality of the presentation content (25%)

Does the title reflect the content of the abstract?
Is the content easily understood?
Are the key results explained?
Is there a ‘so what’ factor?

Educational value of the presentation (50%)

Does the presentation have potential end user, research, real-world policy and/or practice implications?
Is this presentation a new or innovative contribution?
Will this presentation be appealing to the OPCC audience?

Relevance to the conference theme (25%)

Does the presentation align with the conference theme Connecting Systems for Better Care?
Does it address current challenges or opportunities in palliative care and related sectors?
Will the content contribute to broader conversations around improving systems of care?
Does it offer insights or solutions that can help bridge gaps between care systems?

Notifications of acceptance will be sent via email to the presenting or submitting author in April 2025.

How to prepare your abstract

Abstract title	Should clearly identify the nature of the abstract and contain major key words. Maximum 12 words.
Author/s	Provide the first initial and surname for all authors, with the presenting author listed first.
Format	Specify your preferred presentation format (oral presentation, short form presentation, workshop, poster), noting that the final decision about format is made by the program committee.
Stream	Choose the stream that best reflects the content of your abstract, noting that accepted abstracts may be allocated into alternative streams by the program committee.
Structure	Oral, short form and poster presentations should use the following sub-headings Background (or what is your paper about) Aim (or why is it important?) Methods (or how did you do it?) Results or Outcome (or what did you find?) Conclusion (or why is this important?) Workshops should use the following sub-headings Background (gives context, identifies the issue being addressed) Aim (what the participants will learn) Methods (describes the structure and format of the workshop, including teaching methods, interactive components and skill building exercises) Audience (identifies the target audience and any limits on numbers) Outcomes (describes specific learning outcomes and skills to be delivered)
Length	Abstracts should be no more than 300 words, which includes any references. The abstract should not include any reference to institutions or presenters involved to facilitate blind review of the abstracts. Medications should use generic names only. Abbreviations may be used once the name has been spelled out in full.
Previous presentation or publication	If you have presented this presentation or paper to another audience or the results of in a publication, please indicate where and when you made the presentation or published the paper.
Biography	Please provide a brief biography (80 words or less) for the presenting author only.
First-time presenter	Let us know if you are a first-time presenter (and consider using the Abstract Mentoring Program before submitting your abstract).
Ian Maddocks Guest Lecture*	Indicate if you wish to be considered for the Ian Maddocks Guest Lecture. This is awarded to the best abstract submitted by an author under the age of 40 who is engaged in the study or delivery of palliative care in any of its component disciplines. The winner will be invited to deliver their presentation in a plenary session at the conference.

*Ian Maddocks Guest Lecture

If you are under the age of 40 and working or doing research in palliative care, you can submit your abstract to be considered for the Ian Maddocks Guest Lecture.

The recipient of the Ian Maddocks Guest Lecture is the best submission by an author under the age of 40 who is engaged in the study or delivery of palliative care in any of its component disciplines. The winner will be required to present their abstract in an oral plenary session at the conference.

Terms and Conditions

All abstract submissions to 25OPCC must adhere to the following terms and conditions:

All submissions must be made via the online abstract submission portal and adhere to the submission guidelines. Failure to do so will result in your abstract being declined. Emailed submissions will not be accepted.
All abstracts must be received by the advertised closing date. Submissions received after this date will not be considered.
Presentations are not to include promotions of specific products or services, unless they are integral to the context of the topic.
Please ensure your abstract is accurate and clear and has been proofread before submission. PCA takes no responsibility for errors in published abstracts.
Abstracts accepted for presentation must not have been presented elsewhere prior to 25OPCC unless agreed by the conference organiser.
Abstracts may be accepted as a different format or in a different stream than that indicated in the submission.
Presenters must register to attend 25OPCC. Presenters are responsible for their own travel and accommodation while attending 25OPCC.
Presenters must be available to present on any day of the conference as decided by the conference organisers.
Presentations at the conference may be recorded for post-conference broadcast and promotion. Recordings will become property of PCA.
All presentations may be included in the CareSearch Grey Literature library.