Transforming the Workforce for Primary Palliative Care Through a System-Wide Educational Initiative

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Palliative care (PC) is a critical healthcare priority globally.
• Generalist clinicians often lack sufficient knowledge and skills in PC.
• There is a need to enhance PC competency within the hospital workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement an interdisciplinary educational initiative to improve PC knowledge and skills.
• To assess the impact of the educational initiative on clinical practice and workforce culture.

Main Methods:

• An interdisciplinary educational initiative comprising 27 offerings was developed and delivered.
• Over 1000 hospital clinicians attended at least one educational session.
• Key outcome measures, including PC referrals and advanced directive documentation, were tracked.

Main Results:

• Significant gains were observed in PC referrals and advanced directive documentation.
• The initiative demonstrated a measurable transformation in the workforce's approach to PC.
• The program's success was recognized with 2 national awards.

Conclusions:

• Interdisciplinary education effectively enhances palliative care knowledge and skills in generalist clinicians.
• Educational initiatives can drive significant improvements in PC delivery and documentation.
• Workforce development in PC contributes to cultural transformation and national recognition.