Display options
Cite
Walker S, Gibbins J, Barclay S, et al. Progress and divergence in palliative care education for medical students: A comparative survey of UK course structure, content, delivery, contact with patients and assessment of learning. Palliat Med. 2016;30(9):834-42doi: 10.1177/0269216315627125.
Walker, S., Gibbins, J., Barclay, S., Adams, A., Paes, P., Chandratilake, M., Gishen, F., Lodge, P., & Wee, B. (2016). Progress and divergence in palliative care education for medical students: A comparative survey of UK course structure, content, delivery, contact with patients and assessment of learning. Palliative medicine, 30(9), 834-42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269216315627125
Walker, Steven, et al. "Progress and divergence in palliative care education for medical students: A comparative survey of UK course structure, content, delivery, contact with patients and assessment of learning." Palliative medicine vol. 30,9 (2016): 834-42. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0269216315627125
Walker S, Gibbins J, Barclay S, Adams A, Paes P, Chandratilake M, Gishen F, Lodge P, Wee B. Progress and divergence in palliative care education for medical students: A comparative survey of UK course structure, content, delivery, contact with patients and assessment of learning. Palliat Med. 2016 Oct;30(9):834-42. doi: 10.1177/0269216315627125. Epub 2016 Feb 04. PMID: 26847525.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Palliat Med. 2016 Oct;30(9):834-42. doi: 10.1177/0269216315627125. Epub 2016 Feb 04.

Progress and divergence in palliative care education for medical students: A comparative survey of UK course structure, content, delivery, contact with patients and assessment of learning.

Palliative medicine

Steven Walker, Jane Gibbins, Stephen Barclay, Astrid Adams, Paul Paes, Madawa Chandratilake, Faye Gishen, Philip Lodge, Bee Wee

Affiliations

  1. Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead, London, UK Centre for Medical Education, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK St Giles Medical, London, UK [email protected].
  2. Cornwall Hospice Care, Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust and Peninsula Medical School, Cornwall, UK.
  3. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
  4. Sir Michael Sobell House, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
  5. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
  6. Centre for Medical Education, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
  7. Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead, London, UK Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London, UK.

PMID: 26847525 DOI: 10.1177/0269216315627125

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Effective undergraduate education is required to enable newly qualified doctors to safely care for patients with palliative care and end-of-life needs. The status of palliative care teaching for UK medical students is unknown.

AIM: To investigate palliative care training at UK medical schools and compare with data collected in 2000.

DESIGN: An anonymised, web-based multifactorial questionnaire.

SETTINGS/PARTICIPANTS: Results were obtained from palliative care course organisers at all 30 medical schools in 2013 and compared with 23 medical schools (24 programmes) in 2000.

RESULTS: All continue to deliver mandatory teaching on 'last days of life, death and bereavement'. Time devoted to palliative care teaching time varied (2000: 6-100 h, mean 20 h; 2013: 7-98 h, mean 36 h, median 25 h). Current palliative care teaching is more integrated. There was little change in core topics and teaching methods. New features include 'involvement in clinical areas', participation of patient and carers and attendance at multidisciplinary team meetings. Hospice visits are offered (22/24 (92%) vs 27/30 (90%)) although they do not always involve patient contact. There has been an increase in students' assessments (2000: 6/24, 25% vs 2013: 25/30, 83%) using a mixture of formative and summative methods. Some course organisers lack an overview of what is delivered locally.

CONCLUSION: Undergraduate palliative care training continues to evolve with greater integration, increased teaching, new delivery methods and wider assessment. There is a trend towards increased patient contact and clinical involvement. A minority of medical schools offer limited teaching and patient contact which could impact on the delivery of safe palliative care by newly qualified doctors.

© The Author(s) 2016.

Keywords: Palliative care; data collection; education medical undergraduate; medical education; students medical; terminal care

MeSH terms

Publication Types