| Course | MED 475 Palliative Care Managing Complex Serious Illness |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 5 |
| Paper type | Presentation, slides with speaker notes |
| Length | About 454 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 slide deck with speaker notes |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | BS in Medical Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MED 475 Module 5
Care by Neighbors: Kerala's Community Palliative Care Model
Student Name
BS in Medical Studies, Arizona State University
MED 475: Palliative Care: Managing Complex Serious Illness
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Slide 1: Care by Neighbors
Kerala's Neighborhood Network in Palliative Care. An international palliative care model.
Speaker notes: Most palliative care models we study are built around hospitals and specialists. Kerala, a state in southern India, built one around neighbors.
Slide 2: Why Look Beyond Our Borders
Global need for palliative care far exceeds access, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Models built with few specialists can teach high-income countries as well.
Speaker notes: A Lancet Commission described an "access abyss" in palliative care and pain relief worldwide (Knaul et al., 2018). Kerala is often cited as a response to that gap.
Slide 3: Origins
Grew from community initiatives in north Kerala. Community volunteers, health professionals and local organizations joined to care for people with serious illness at home.
Speaker notes: The network developed from community initiatives rather than a government program, which shaped its character (Kumar, 2007). Volunteers from the community, not only professionals, became the core of home-based care (Sallnow et al., 2010).
Slide 4: Scale
More than 60 units in north Kerala, covering a population of over 12 million. Described as probably the largest community-owned palliative care network in the world.
Speaker notes: These figures come from the model's founders' description of the network (Kumar, 2007).
Slide 5: How It Works
Trained community volunteers identify patients and visit homes. Doctors and nurses provide medical care and training. Local groups raise funds. Care includes symptom control, emotional support and practical help.
Speaker notes: Volunteers do much more than befriend patients; they identify needs in their neighborhood and connect families to professional care.
Slide 6: Why It Works
Community ownership builds trust. Home-based care fits families' preferences. Local funding gives sustainability. Volunteers extend scarce professional time.
Speaker notes: The model treats palliative care as a social responsibility, not only a medical service.
Slide 7: Limits and Questions
Quality varies between units. Rigorous outcome studies are limited. Access to opioids for pain has been a long-standing barrier in India. The model depends on volunteer energy and local culture.
Speaker notes: A balanced presentation should note that much of the evidence is descriptive, and that results may not transfer directly to other places.
Slide 8: Lessons for Rural Arizona
Train community members, such as church and tribal volunteers, to identify patients and support families. Pair volunteers with telehealth palliative teams. Use local fundraising and partnerships. Respect cultural traditions around dying at home.
Speaker notes: Rural Arizona has long distances and few palliative specialists, the kind of setting where a community-based approach could extend care.
Slide 9: Key Takeaways
Palliative care can be community-owned. Volunteers can extend professional care. Evidence and quality systems must grow with the model.
Speaker notes: Kerala shows that compassion organized at the neighborhood level can reach people that health systems miss.
References
Knaul, F. M., Farmer, P. E., Krakauer, E. L., De Lima, L., Bhadelia, A., Jiang Kwete, X., Arreola-Ornelas, H., Gómez-Dantés, O., Rodriguez, N. M., Alleyne, G. A. O., Connor, S. R., Hunter, D. J., Lohman, D., Radbruch, L., Del Rocío Sáenz Madrigal, M., Atun, R., Foley, K. M., Frenk, J., Jamison, D. T., . . . Lancet Commission on Palliative Care and Pain Relief Study Group. (2018). Alleviating the access abyss in palliative care and pain relief: An imperative of universal health coverage. The Lancet, 391(10128), 1391-1454. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32513-8
Kumar, S. K. (2007). Kerala, India: A regional community-based palliative care model. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 33(5), 623-627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2007.02.005
Sallnow, L., Kumar, S., & Numpeli, M. (2010). Home-based palliative care in Kerala, India: The Neighbourhood Network in Palliative Care. Progress in Palliative Care, 18(1), 14-17. https://doi.org/10.1179/096992610X12624290276142
MED 475 Module 5 instructions, in plain terms
Module 5 brings the International Palliative Care Presentation, the 35-point centerpiece of MED 475. Create a presentation on an international palliative care model, in the module whose discussion also covers international end-of-life care. Explain how the model developed, how it is organized and delivered, what evidence supports it, what its limitations are and what lessons it offers for care in the United States. Use slides with speaker notes or narration as directed in Canvas, keep slide text brief and cite your sources in APA style on the slides or a reference slide. Choose a model with enough published information to describe it accurately. Choose a model you find compelling, since enthusiasm shows in a recorded talk, and keep the lessons tied to a real U.S. setting.
How this MED 475 Module 5 example is built
The sample moves from why international models matter to the chosen model's origins, scale, structure and reasons for success, then gives a full slide to its limits before drawing lessons for a specific U.S. setting. Narration supplies the explanation and sources, and the network's figures are credited to its founders' published account. Margin notes explain why scale and limits deserve their own slides. The final slide distills three takeaways. The presentation avoids overstating the evidence, which is mostly descriptive. The notes are drafted as narration for a recording, and each adds detail the slide leaves out. Figures on the network's size are attributed to published sources.
MED 475 Module 5 rubric: what earns full marks
Graders evaluating the 35-point presentation look for an accurate description of an international model, a clear explanation of how it works, attention to evidence and limitations and thoughtful lessons for the U.S. context. Presentations lose points when they read like travel brochures, when claims about outcomes are unsupported, when slides are crowded with text or when the model is described without analysis. Because this is the course's largest assignment, organization, visual clarity and citation quality all matter. A presentation that compares the model with U.S. palliative care, rather than describing it in isolation, shows deeper analysis. Clear, uncluttered slides and attributed figures earn credit for professionalism.
MED 475 Module 5 help: mistakes that cost marks
Choose a model with published descriptions you can cite. Note who started it, how it is funded and who delivers care. Look for any outcome evidence and be honest about its strength. Give limitations their own slide. Draw lessons for a specific U.S. setting. Let slides carry headlines only and let your voice carry the detail. If you are torn between two models, the desk can help you compare them. Practice the timing before recording. Search for the model's founders' own publications first, then look for independent descriptions. Record a practice run to check pacing and clarity. Cite every figure on the slide or in the notes so viewers can check it later.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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MED 475 Module 5 questions, answered
Where can I find a free MED 475 Module 5 sample paper?
The full presentation on Kerala's Neighborhood Network in Palliative Care is on this page.
What does the MED 475 international presentation require?
A presentation on an international palliative care model.
What is Kerala's Neighborhood Network in Palliative Care?
A community-owned network built largely by trained volunteers, covering more than 12 million people.
How many points is the MED 475 presentation worth?
35 points, the largest single assignment.
What lessons could the U.S. take from Kerala?
Training community volunteers and pairing them with professional teams to reach underserved areas.