Effect of Palliative Care Curriculum on Serious Illness Conversation Preparedness

A shortage of palliative pare (PC) specialists underscores the necessity that all clinicians feel comfortable with serious illness conversations (SICs).

To assess the effect of an intensive PC curriculum with multiple teaching modalities on Internal Medicine residents' confidence with SICs and advance care planning documentation.

Twelve PC modules consisting of didactic lectures, role-playing, and online interactive modules were integrated as continuing education during academic year 2018-2019. Surveys were administered precurriculum and at 3 and 6 months postcurriculum to measure the primary outcome of increasing resident preparedness for SICs. A retrospective chart review was used to analyze secondary outcomes of advance care planning documentation for patients cared for by residents exposed to the curriculum versus residents from the previous year who received monthly didactic PC lectures.

Postintervention surveys demonstrated statistically significant improvement in resident confidence. An increase in patient code status confirmation rates (odds ratio, 1.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.94; P = 0.02) and a decrease in PC consultation (odds ratio, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.97; P = 0.04) was observed when compared with the previous year.

Among residents, the incorporation of an intensive PC curriculum that uses multiple teaching modalities improves confidence in SICs, which we believe is integral to the practice of goal-concordant patient care.