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Schedule and Speakers
SCHEDULE
The conference will be moderated by Margit Raid.
| Time | Presenter | Activity/Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | Registration | |
| 09:30 | Saima Hinno and Jaan Looga | Opening remarks |
| 09:40 | Mari Kangasniemi | Healthcare Ethics: Collaborative or Confined to Silos? |
| 10:20 | Signe Mežinska | Bridging the Gap: Patients’ Perspectives on the Implementation of Patient Rights in Latvia |
| 10:40 | Laura Žaliene | When Cure Is Not the Goal: Ethical Challenges of Rehabilitation in Children Requiring Palliative Care |
| 11:00 | Jekaterina Maadla | Translation Awareness as an Ethical Imperative in Multilingual Healthcare: Evidence from Estonia |
| 11:20 | Anni Lillepuu | Workplace Ethical Climate in Estonian Hospitals: Cross-Sectional Survey Study Among Nurses |
| 11:40-12:35 | LUNCH/POSTERS | |
| 12:35-12:40 | Gaute Kivistik | Health News |
| 12:40 | Katrin Kaarna | Research, Ethical Aspects and International Cooperation |
| 13:10 | Hanna Michnowska | The Ethical Use of Laboratory Animals |
| 13:25 | Gerli Mõts | Shared Principles, Divergent Practices: Ethical Challenges in Cross-Border Health Professions Education Research |
| 13:40 | Discussion (Katrin, Hanna, Gerli), moderated by Margit | |
| 13:55 | CAKE AND COFFEE | |
| 14:15-14:20 | Gaute Kivistik | Health News |
| 14:20 | Katrin Elmet | From Preserving Life to Respecting Human Life. Ethical and Practical Challenges of Treatment Limitations |
| 14:50 | Liis Lang | Supporting Patient Autonomy at the End of Life: Nurses’ Experiences in Hospice Care |
| 15:05 | Viivika Padar | Unmet Needs in End-of-Life Care: Perspectives of Hospice Patients and Their Loved Ones |
| 15:20 | Keidi Õispuu | Needs of Family Members of a Terminally Ill Person Living at Home in Saaremaa and Muhu Municipalities |
| 15:35 | Discussion (Katrin, Liis, Viivika, Keidi), moderated by Margit | |
| Gaute Kivistik | Health News | |
| 15:50 | Margit Raid | Closing remarks |
SPEAKERS
Katrin Kaarna
Dr. Katrin Kaarna is an expert in clinical research with extensive international and domestic experience in a broad range of
clinical research and development activities, including preclinical studies, international clinical drug trials, medical device investigations, and related fields.
Such a professional environment requires comprehensive expertise in both medical ethics and the legal and regulatory frameworks governing medical research.
In addition to her practical work in the field of scientific research, Dr. Kaarna has made significant contributions to research ethics.
She served as Chair of the Ethics Committee for Clinical Drug Trials at the Estonian State Agency of Medicines (from 2022 to 2025), was a member of the University of Tartu Research Ethics Committee for Human Studies (from 2019 to 2025), and has been a member of the Estonian Research Council’s Research Ethics Committee since 1st of January 2026.
Dr. Kaarna graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tartu and is a specialist in neurology.
Her work as a physician has provided her with substantial practical clinical experience, which Dr. Kaarna has successfully integrated with research and development activities as well as healthcare innovation and advancement.
She currently serves as Director of the Clinical Trials Centre of the Tartu University Hospital and the University of Tartu, and as Executive Director of the National Translational Medicine and Clinical Research Consortium. In addition to Tartu University Hospital and the University of Tartu, the consortium includes the Estonian University of Life Sciences and Icosagen Cell Factory.
Her responsibilities include the strategic and administrative leadership of clinical research projects, development of research processes, collaboration with international sponsors and pharmaceutical companies, and supporting researchers and physicians in the conduct of clinical studies.
Previously, Dr. Kaarna worked at the international clinical research organisation IQVIA, formerly known as QuintilesIMS, the world’s largest clinical research organisation. She was the founder and Managing Director of Quintiles Estonia OÜ and later served as Senior Director of a global clinical unit, Head of Strategy for Central Europe, and leader of multiple global projects.
Dr. Kaarna has also contributed to the development of innovation in Estonia as a mentor in the international mentoring programme CDL Estonia and as a member of the advisory board of Health Founders Estonia.
Dr. Katrin Kaarna combines practical medical experience, international expertise in clinical research, and a strategic perspective on research and development, making her a highly regarded expert both in Estonia and within the international research community.
Mari Kangasniemi
Professor Mari Kangasniemi, PhD, works at the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Turku, Finland, and is a
Visiting Professor at the University of Tartu, Estonia. Her research focuses on nursing and healthcare ethics, the changing nature of social and healthcare work, and environmental responsibility in patient care.
Professor Kangasniemi has published widely in these fields and is actively involved as a research group leader, member of national and international multidisciplinary research groups, supervisor, teacher, lecturer and expert in scientific and societal forums.
Her keynote addresses the shared ethical commitment to safe, high-quality patient care and highlights the importance of prioritising human-centred care and services. The presentation invites reflection on how patients can be placed at the heart of decision-making, how professional practices can be re-examined, and how the boundaries between practice, education and research can be critically considered. These interconnections create ethical challenges, but also offer important opportunities for developing more integrated, sustainable and ethically sound approaches to healthcare.
Katrin Elmet
Katrin Elmet is a Senior Physician in Anesthesiology at Tartu University Hospital. Through her work as an intensive care
physician, she has, driven by clinical practice, developed expertise in several areas of medical ethics that are essential for high-quality critical care.
Her experience in neurointensive care led her to develop a strong interest in organ donation, including work on legislation surrounding the diagnosis of brain death and the ethics of transplantation medicine. Her primary areas of interest, however, focus on end-of-life ethics, including palliative care and the limitation of life-prolonging treatment.
Dr. Elmet has initiated and led the development of legislation and systems supporting advance directives in Estonia.
She has taught these topics to medical students, delivered professional training, and spoken at conferences. She has also contributed to public discourse through interviews on television and radio, contributions to newspapers and magazines, and by publishing review articles on these topics.
Closely related to end-of-life care is the ability of healthcare professionals to communicate bad news, and Dr. Elmet has trained physicians in this area.
Photo: elundidoonorlus.ee