On October 21 and 22,2024 Barcelona hosted the VI National Conference of Healthcare Clowns, organized by Pallapupas. For six years, these biennial meetings have brought together healthcare clown organizations from across Spain to share progress, explore innovative strategies, and develop new approaches to improve the well-being of the patients they serve.
These gatherings have proven essential for staying updated in a field as dynamic and rapidly evolving as healthcare, where advances in research and new technologies continually reshape practices. They provided an opportunity to adapt approaches to the needs of patients, caregivers, professionals, and healthcare centers, ensuring that emotional interventions remained relevant and impactful. The conferences also raised awareness among healthcare professionals and society about the importance of emotional care in clinical practice while fostering discussions on technical and sector-specific issues at the intersection of culture, medicine, and social rights.
Over the years, these meetings achieved significant milestones for the healthcare clown sector. A common Code of Ethics was established to ensure professional and ethical standards across all organizations. A Contracting Framework was developed to guarantee fair and dignified working conditions for artists. Intervention methodologies were consolidated, resulting in effective practices now implemented in hospitals nationwide. The digitalization of these methodologies facilitated their access and application, while improved research provided concrete data demonstrating the positive impact of their work on patients’ well-being.
The 6th National Conference of Clowns for Health was a unique opportunity to innovate, learn, and collaborate to continue offering the best emotional support to patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. This commitment to emotional care and adapting to the evolving needs of the healthcare system has always been the driving force of these meetings. Barcelona once again became a hub for growth and collaboration in this vital field.
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