Creative solution for implementation of experiential, competency-based palliative care training for internal medicine...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care
• Internal Medicine Residency Training

Background:

• Internal medicine residents require foundational palliative care competency for comprehensive patient management.
• Existing training methods may not adequately assess practical palliative care skills.
• A structured approach is needed to standardize and evaluate palliative care education in residency programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a dual-strategy educational program for internal medicine residents focusing on palliative care competency.
• To establish a framework for assessing resident proficiency in key palliative care domains through faculty observation.
• To ensure graduating residents possess essential skills in palliative care.

Main Methods:

• A two-pronged approach was utilized: web-based learning modules for knowledge acquisition and direct faculty observation for competency assessment.
• Faculty training included Competency Assessment Tools covering 19 topics across four palliative care domains.
• Residents completed online training and demonstrated skills in each domain before graduation.

Main Results:

• Resident and faculty evaluations of the palliative care training programs were favorable.
• The program successfully integrated knowledge-based and performance-based assessments.
• All residents met the requirement of demonstrating competency in one skill from each of the four palliative care domains.

Conclusions:

• The implemented two-pronged strategy effectively enhances palliative care competency in internal medicine residents.
• Direct observation and structured assessment tools are valuable for evaluating clinical skills in palliative care.
• Further outcome-based measures are planned to assess the long-term impact of this palliative care training program.