Palliative care competencies for geriatricians across Europe: a Delphi consensus study

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Palliative Care
• Medical Education

Background:

• High-quality care for older adults, particularly in their final years, necessitates integrating palliative care competencies into geriatric medicine.
• Geriatricians require mandatory knowledge and skills in palliative care to effectively manage the needs of aging populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a consensus-based set of specific palliative care competencies for postgraduate training in geriatric medicine.
• To establish recommended competencies for geriatricians to enhance end-of-life care for older patients.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi technique with a Likert-like rating scale was employed to define palliative care competencies.
• A template of 46 items, based on existing competencies from Switzerland and Belgium, initiated the Delphi process.
• Three rounds of consensus-building involved experts from 12 European Union countries.

Main Results:

• Full consensus was achieved after three Delphi rounds.
• Initial competencies underwent modifications in wording and content, with some being deleted or merged for specificity.
• Ultimately, 35 palliative care competencies were finalized for geriatricians.

Conclusions:

• A finalized list of 35 palliative care competencies for geriatricians is available for adoption across European countries.
• These competencies aim to standardize and elevate the quality of palliative care within geriatric medicine.