Deutsche Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin e.V.

What Deutsche Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin e.V. does

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin e.V. (DGP) is a German scientific medical society registered as an eingetragener Verein, founded on 2 July 1994 in Cologne and now headquartered at Zimmerstraße 26/27 in Berlin-Kreuzberg. It is the primary professional association for palliative medicine in Germany, serving approximately 6,800 members drawn from medicine (56%), nursing and care (28%), and adjacent professions such as psychology, spiritual care, social work, physiotherapy, pharmacology, and law (16%), with operational reach coordinated through 16 state-level chapters covering all federal states.

DGP's core products are clinical and educational standards rather than commercial software. The flagship asset is the S3-Leitlinie Palliativmedizin for patients with incurable cancer (first published 2015, extended 2019, comprehensively updated July 2026), co-developed with more than 70 medical societies under Deutsche Krebshilfe funding. Supporting digital tools include the 'Wegweiser Hospiz- und Palliativversorgung Deutschland' directory in ten languages, the iSedPall sedation toolkit, CIRS-palliativ critical incident reporting, and a guideline app. The association certifies palliative care courses (1,000+ course instructors credentialed) and operates certification procedures for palliative stations, hospital palliative services, pediatric SAPV teams, and Fachpsycholog:innen, alongside biennial congresses, the annual Wissenschaftliche Arbeitstage, and the Bildungswerkstatt educational workshop.

Revenue is generated from individual membership dues (€38–€172/year), tiered institutional memberships (€150–€400), congress and Bildungswerkstatt fees, the jointly published 'Zeitschrift für Palliativmedizin', certification services, and donations plus grants such as Deutsche Krebshilfe funding for guideline work. Distribution runs through direct online membership enrollment, state chapters, certified training programs, the public Wegweiser directory, the 'das ist palliativ' awareness campaign featuring ambassadors Stefan Schöttler and Okka Gundel, and multi-channel communications including website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, 14-day member newsletters, and a quarterly public newsletter introduced in late 2025. Governance rests with an elected board led by President Prof. Dr. Claudia Bausewein (first female president, elected January 2021) and Managing Director Heiner Melching (since late 2009).

Name

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin e.V.

Legal name

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin e.V.

Website

https://dgpalliativmedizin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin e.V. (DGP) is Germany's leading scientific medical society for palliative medicine, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Berlin. It serves approximately 6,800 interdisciplinary professionals across all 16 federal states, develops the national S3 clinical guideline, certifies palliative care education, and runs the multi-language Wegweiser hospice and palliative care directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Society — Palliative Medicine

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN), Hospice & Palliative Care Care Coordination / Navigation (HLADAHAK)

Keywords

• Palliative medicine
• Medical society
• Clinical guidelines
• Professional certification
• Hospice care

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The DGP generates primary revenue through annual membership fees: €172 for ordinary members with academic qualifications, €88 for ordinary members without academic qualifications, €38 for associate members (students, trainees, volunteers, retirees), and €150-400 for institutional members depending on type. The association has approximately 6,800 members.
2. Congress and Event Fees: Revenue generated from DGP Kongress attendance fees (reduced for members) and the Bildungswerkstatt educational workshop fees (€80 normal rate, €25 for students/trainees). The biennial congress typically attracts thousands of participants.
3. Publication Revenue: Revenue from the 'Zeitschrift für Palliativmedizin' (Journal for Palliative Medicine), co-published with the Austrian Palliative Society, and sale of brochures, guidelines, and educational materials. Members receive the journal as part of membership.
4. Training Certification Services: Revenue from certification processes for palliative care courses, curricula development, and recertification of course instructors and moderators. The DGP certifies educational offerings across multiple professional groups.
5. Donations and Grants: The DGP receives donations (with dedicated accounts at Berliner Volksbank) and project grants from organizations such as Deutsche Krebshilfe for guideline development. The association also benefits from partnerships with foundations supporting palliative care research and education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin e.V. is Germany's primary scientific professional society for palliative medicine, founded in 1994. It develops and maintains national S3 clinical guidelines, certifies palliative care training programs across multiple professional groups (physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, therapists), publishes the Zeitschrift für Palliativmedizin journal, hosts biennial congresses and annual educational workshops, and operates the nationwide Wegweiser Hospiz- und Palliativversorgung directory of palliative care services. The association serves approximately 6,800 members and advocates for palliative care policy at the national level.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DGP Membership Annual membership program for healthcare professionals in palliative medicine, with tiered fees (€38 for associate members/students/retirees, €88 for ordinary members without academic qualifications, €172 for ordinary members with academic qualifications, and €150-€400 for institutional members). Includes journal subscription, congress discounts, access to 45+ working groups and sections, and regional representation through state-level chapters. Approximately 6,800 members enrolled.
• Zeitschrift für Palliativmedizin Scientific journal of palliative medicine co-published with the Austrian Palliative Society (Österreichische Palliativgesellschaft / OPG), providing peer-reviewed research and clinical content for palliative care professionals. Included as part of DGP membership and available to OPG members.
• DGP Kongress Biennial scientific congress of DGP attracting thousands of palliative care professionals from across Germany and internationally. The 16th Kongress is scheduled September 23-26, 2026 in Freiburg under the theme 'palliativ - leben im grenzland'. Members receive reduced registration fees.
• DGP Bildungswerkstatt

Quantifiable outcome

• S3-Leitlinie updated 2026 with new chapters covering 15 treatment areas including family caregiver support and spirituality
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Leitlinienprogramm Onkologie (German Guideline Program in Oncology)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2026Jointly developed the updated S3 Guideline on Palliative Medicine for patients with incurable cancer with 70+ medical societies. The guideline is a major national standard financed by Deutsche Krebshilfe.
• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2026Collaborated on the publication 'Übertherapie am Lebensende - Handlungsempfehlungen für die Bereiche Notfallmedizin, Intensivmedizin und Onkologie'. KAS hosted expert discussions on palliative care policy and overtreatment prevention.
• Stefan Schöttler (Botschafter/Ambassador)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 May 2025Comedian serving as DGP ambassador since 2025, raising awareness about palliative care through performances and fundraising for DGP projects. Personal experience with palliative care of his father and best friend informs his advocacy.
• European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe DGP collaborates with EAPC on European palliative care standards, congress organization (DGP co-hosted the 16th World Congress of EAPC in Berlin in 2019 with 3,000+ delegates), journal access (reduced rates for Palliative Medicine journal at £136 instead of £185), and professional networking across European countries.
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWMF is the umbrella organization for scientific medical societies in Germany. The DGP participates in AWMF initiatives and benefits from reduced membership rates as a member society.
• Deutsches Netzwerk Versorgungsforschung e.V. (DNVF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGP collaborates with DNVF on healthcare services research, with members receiving reduced rates on publications and networking.
• Okka Gundel (Botschafterin/Ambassador)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerARD television journalist and presenter serving as DGP ambassador since July 2026, helping raise public awareness about palliative care and the 'das ist palliativ' campaign.
• Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft SAPV (BAG-SAPV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint statement with BAG-SAPV and DHPV on the pallCompare study results regarding palliative care utilization data from German health insurance.
• Deutscher Hospiz- und PalliativVerband (DHPV)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration on hospice and palliative care policy, joint statements, the HOPAN network project, National Hospice and Palliative Care Register, and Caring Communities recommendations.
• Bundesärztekammer (German Medical Association)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint charter development (Charta zur Betreuung schwerstkranker und sterbender Menschen), HOPAN network project collaboration, and national strategy for care of seriously ill and dying people.
• Uniklinik Köln, LMU München, and other university partnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partners coordinating guideline development (Uniklinik Köln for S3 Leitlinie), hosting chairs and professorships, and conducting palliative care research.
• Film PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on documentary films including 'In Liebe lassen' (2022), 'Röbi geht' (2025), and 'Multiple Schicksale' (2016) to raise public awareness about palliative care.
• Österreichische Palliativgesellschaft (OPG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint publication of the 'Zeitschrift für Palliativmedizin' journal, with members of both German and Austrian societies receiving the journal as part of membership.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft SAPV (BAG-SAPV): German federal association for specialized outpatient palliative care (SAPV) providers. Directly comparable as a specialized German palliative care organization, with which DGP issues joint statements on palliative care utilization and policy.
• Deutscher Hospiz- und PalliativVerband (DHPV): German national association for hospice and palliative care representing voluntary hospice services and palliative care providers. Directly comparable as a German umbrella organization in the same palliative care space, with which DGP has long-standing collaboration on policy and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Register.

Broad incumbents

• Hospice UK: UK national charity for hospice and palliative care, supporting member organizations and advocating for end-of-life care. Comparable as a national membership organization in palliative care that combines advocacy, education, and public awareness functions.
• Bundesärztekammer (German Medical Association): German federal medical association representing all physicians in Germany. Comparable as a key partner organization that co-developed the Charter for Care of Critically Ill and Dying People and supports national palliative care strategy.
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF): German umbrella organization for scientific medical societies that the DGP belongs to. Comparable as the parent association providing infrastructure for guideline development and medical society coordination in Germany.
• American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM): US professional organization for hospice and palliative medicine physicians and healthcare professionals. Comparable as the leading national scientific society in the palliative medicine space, focused on education, research, and policy advocacy.
• European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC): European-wide membership organization for palliative care professionals across multiple disciplines. Comparable as the international parent organization that the DGP is a national member of, collaborating on congresses, research, and standards.

Others

• ALIVIA Stiftung: German foundation funding palliative care research and dissertation prizes. Comparable as a stakeholder in the German palliative care ecosystem with which DGP collaborates on academic awards and funding initiatives.
• Deutsche Krebshilfe: German Cancer Aid foundation that funds the Leitlinienprogramm Onkologie including the DGP-led S3 Guideline. Comparable as a key funding partner that supports the development of national palliative care standards.

Regional players

• Société Française d'Accompagnement et de soins Palliatifs (SFAP): French national scientific society for palliative care accompanying persons and care. Comparable as a national European palliative care professional society with similar functions in education, guidelines, and advocacy in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXUDuoC4G9MJLY4vK6vConQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/DGPalliativ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dgpalliativmedizin
• Instagraminstagram.com/dasistpalliativ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Deutsche Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin e.V.