Interprofessional palliative and end-of-life education: short-term and long-term outcomes - mixed-methods analysis

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care
• Interprofessional Education

Background:

• Interprofessional care is crucial for end-of-life (EOL) and palliative care (PC).
• Interprofessional education (IPE) may be a suitable method for training healthcare professionals in EOL and PC.
• A curriculum integrating these aspects was developed to assess its impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an interprofessional EOL care curriculum on participants.
• Assess outcomes immediately post-course, upon completion, and four years later.
• Examine both quantitative and qualitative changes in participants' perspectives and behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A curriculum was delivered to medical, social work, and nursing students.
• Quantitative data collected via questionnaires immediately post-course and four years later.
• Qualitative data gathered through open-ended questions and interviews four years post-course.

Main Results:

• Participants highly valued the interprofessional education (IPE) experience (4.77/5).
• Four years later, IPE significantly impacted professional (3.65/5) and personal lives (3.94/5).
• IPE in PC was deemed very important (4.88/5), with reported behavioral changes and enhanced EOL care approaches.

Conclusions:

• Interprofessional EOL education yields meaningful and lasting personal and professional behavioral outcomes.
• The curriculum facilitated open discussions on death and dying and personal-emotional growth.
• IPE provides a valuable framework for interprofessional teamwork in EOL care, leading to significant behavioral shifts.