Providing Pediatric Palliative Care Education Using Problem-Based Learning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatrics
• Palliative Care

Background:

• Calls for improved pediatric palliative care (PPC) education due to physician shortages.
• Need for effective PPC training for medical students and faculty.
• This study evaluated a novel problem-based learning (PBL) module for PPC education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a PPC-PBL module on third-year medical students' knowledge, attitudes, perceived exposure, and self-assessed competency.
• To evaluate the impact on pediatric faculty (non-PPC specialists) facilitating the module.

Main Methods:

• A PBL module was designed around three core PPC learning objectives.
• Medical students researched and presented on palliative care concepts for a child with refractory leukemia.
• Faculty were guided by PPC specialists in facilitating the PBL sessions.

Main Results:

• Students showed significant improvements in declarative knowledge, perceived exposure, and self-assessed competency in PPC objectives (p < 0.001).
• Faculty knowledge scores remained high, with no significant pre- to post-module changes.
• Both students and faculty consistently rated PPC education as important.

Conclusions:

• A PBL module, facilitated by non-specialist pediatric faculty, can effectively teach key pediatric palliative care concepts to medical students.
• This educational strategy enhances student knowledge and self-assessed competency in PPC.
• The findings support the integration of PBL for improving PPC education within pediatric training.