Primary Palliative Care Education for Graduate Medical Trainees: Impacts and Needs

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Rising demand for palliative care (PC) outstrips specialist availability.
• Primary PC, delivered by non-specialists, is crucial for meeting population needs.
• Graduate medical education (GME) is a key strategy to expand primary PC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact and needs of primary PC education for GME trainees.
• To evaluate trainee confidence and implementation of fundamental PC skills.
• To identify specific areas for enhanced PC education.

Main Methods:

• Multicenter, cross-sectional, web-based survey of GME residents and fellows.
• Assessed prior PC education exposure, confidence, and skill implementation.
• Collected data on perceived needs for future PC training.

Main Results:

• 170 trainees participated (19.98% response rate).
• PC education exposure correlated with higher confidence and skill implementation.
• Clinical/experiential education showed the strongest association with improved PC skills.

Conclusions:

• Improving and increasing PC education for GME trainees can enhance primary PC.
• Key areas for additional training include goals of care, pain management, and difficult communication.
• Investing in PC education is vital for addressing workforce shortages.