A Systematic Review of Interprofessional Palliative Care Education Programs

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Palliative Care
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for developing palliative care (PC) competencies.
• Existing educational approaches for PC IPE require synthesis to identify effective strategies.
• Research gaps exist in understanding the impact of PC IPE on clinical practice and patient outcomes.

Approach:

• A systematic review was conducted to summarize current PC IPE approaches.
• 39 articles were analyzed, focusing on educational and research methods.
• The framework of 'characteristics of excellence in interprofessional PC education' was used for evaluation.

Key Points:

• Most studies involved medicine and nursing learners in university settings.
• Evaluations primarily measured self-reported outcomes like attitude and self-efficacy.
• While interprofessional collaboration's effect on patients is known, IPE's effect on PC delivery is less clear.
• Few studies addressed cultural aspects or care provider well-being.

Conclusions:

• There is an urgent need to integrate cultural sensitivity and provider well-being into PC IPE.
• Education and research must extend beyond academia into health systems for clinician development and impact.
• Future evaluations should utilize multisite studies, randomized controlled trials, and longitudinal outcome measures.