Table 2 Informants’ background and expertise

Egypt

Samy Alsirafy

Palliative Medicine Unit (Kasr Al-Ainy Center of Clinical Oncolgy & Nuclear Medicine). Established the first university hospital-based PC unit in Egypt in 2008.

-Osman et al. Atlas of Palliative Care in the Eastern Mediterranean Region 2017.

-Alsirafy SA, et al. Preferred Place of Death for Patients With Incurable Cancer and Their Family Caregivers in Egypt. AJHPM. 2019;36(5):423–428

Iran

Maryam Rassouli

Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. Specialized in PC, has research interests in PC.

-Osman et al. Atlas of Palliative Care in the Eastern Mediterranean Region 2017

-Barasteh S, Rassouli M, et al. Palliative Care in the Health System of Iran: A Review of the Present Status and the Future. APJCP. March 2020 Challenges

Iraq

Samaher A. Fadhil

Affiliated to the Children welfare Teaching Hospital, Pediatric oncology center, Baghdad Medical City; has research interests in PC.

-Fadhil S.A., Ghali H.H. (2021) The Current Situation of Palliative Care Services in Iraq. In: Silbermann M. (eds) Palliative Care for Chronic Cancer Patients in the Community. Springer, Cham

-Fadhil I, Lyons G, Payne S. Barriers to, and opportunities for, palliative care development in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Lancet Oncol. 2017;18(3)

Jordan

Omar Shamieh

Chairman of the PC department at King Hussein Cancer Center since 2011, led the establishment of the National Palliative & Home Care Strategic Framework.

-Shamieh O, et al. Gaining Palliative Medicine Subspecialty Recognition and Fellowship Accreditation in Jordan. JPSM, Vol. 60, 5, 2020, pp. 1003–1011.

Kuwait

Iman Al Diri

Expert in cancer pain management at the Kuwait Cancer Control Center and co-author of several PC-related publications.

-Osman et al. PALLIATIVE CARE. In book: Cancer Control: Eastern Mediterranean Region Special Report _new Publication (pp.82)

-Sánchez-Cardenas M. et al. Region-specific macroindicators on palliative care development in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a Delphi study. EMJH, 2022

Lebanon

Hibah Osman

Founder of Balsam – Lebanese Center for PC, and of the PC Program at the American University of Beirut

-Osman et al. Atlas of Palliative Care in the Eastern Mediterranean Region 2017.

-Osman H, Ramia JA. Assessing physicians’ perception of home based palliative care services in the beirut area. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2015 Apr; 5 Suppl 1:A28

Huda Abu-Saad Huijer

Specialist in PC at the School of Nursing, American University of Beirut. Research focused primarily on pain management and PC in children and adults.

-Abu-Saad Huijer, H. Evidence-Based Palliative Care Across the Life Span. John Wiley & Sons; 2001.

-Abu-Saad Huijer, H, et al. A Mapping of Nursing and Midwifery Research in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). EMHJ. 24(7): 640–650

Myrna A. A. Doumit

Alice ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, LAU and Lebanese American University since Feb. 2011. Member of the national committees of PC and Pain under MoH.

-Doumit MAA, et al. The lived experience of Lebanese oncology patients receiving palliative care. Eur J Oncol Nure 2007 Sep;11(4):309–19

-Doumit, M. (2011). Lebanon - making a start in palliative care. Hospice Information Bulletin, 8, 2, 10.

Morocco

Asmaa El Azhari

Responsible for the PC Unit of Mohammed VI Center for Cancer Treatment, Ibn Rochd Casablanca. Interests in PC for oncological patients.

-Sánchez-Cardenas M. et al. Region-specific macroindicators on palliative care development in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a Delphi study. EMJH, 2022

Oman

Bassim Al Bahrani

Consultant Medical Oncologist at National Oncology Centre, Royal Hospital, and chief operating officer at the Gulf International Cancer Center. Member of many oncology associations.

-Osman et al. Atlas of Palliative Care in the Eastern Mediterranean Region 2017,

-Al Bahrani B, Mehdi I. The Need for Regulatory Reforms in the Use of Opioids for Pain. May 2018. Gulf journal of oncology, 1(27):52–59.

Pakistan

Muhammad Atif Waqar

Assistant Professor and the founding chief of the Section of Palliative Medicine in the Dept of Oncology at the Aga Khan University, Karachi. Set up the city’s first multidisciplinary PC service.

-Waqar MA, et al. Provision of Palliative Care for Oncological Patients in Pakistan: A Review of Challenges and Current Practices. January 2021. In book: Palliative Care for Chronic Cancer Patients in the Community (pp.479–486)

Occupied Palestinian Territory^a

Hani S. Ayyash

Specialized in clinical Hematology at the European Gaza Hospital, has research interest in PC.

-Osman et al. Atlas of Palliative Care in the Eastern Mediterranean Region 2017.

-Bar-Sela G, et al. Training for awareness of one’s own spirituality: a key factor in overcoming barriers to the provision of spiritual care to advanced cancer patients by doctors and nurses. Palliat Support Care. 2019;17(3):345–352

Qatar

Azza Adel Ibrahim Hassan

American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine since 2003, and current Program Director of Supportive and PC Unit at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research-Hamad Medical Corporation

-Silbermann M, (…), Hassan AAI. The Middle East Cancer Consortium promotes palliative care. Lancet (London, England). 2015

-Kreuter M. et al. Palliative care in interstitial lung disease: living well. Lancet Respir Med. 2017

Saudi Arabia

Sami Ayed Alshammary

Works at the Department of PC, Comprehensive Cancer Center, King Fahad Medical City, MoH, since 2010. Interested in symptom management and competences in PC for physicians.

-Alshammary SA, et al. Palliative care in Saudi Arabia: Two decades of progress and going strong. Journal of Health Specialties 2 (2), 59.

-Alshammary SA, et al. Development of Palliative and End of Life Care: The Current Situation in Saudi Arabia’. Cureus. 2019 Mar; 11(3): e4319