Palliative Care Knowledge Following an Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Seminar.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care
• Interdisciplinary Healthcare

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the transition of an interdisciplinary palliative care (IPC) seminar to a virtual platform.
• The seminar traditionally delivered in-person content on palliative and hospice care, interdisciplinary teamwork, and student-led patient encounters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual interdisciplinary palliative care seminar in enhancing student knowledge and its applicability to clinical practice.
• To assess the impact of a novel virtual educational delivery on palliative and hospice care understanding.

Main Methods:

• Administered the Palliative Care Knowledge Test (PCKT) pre- and post-seminar to assess knowledge acquisition.
• Conducted a 1-year follow-up survey to evaluate the seminar's relevance to students' clinical experiences and future practice.

Main Results:

• Virtual didactics and patient encounters significantly improved understanding of palliative and hospice care across undergraduate and graduate programs.
• A 1-year follow-up confirmed the seminar's applicability to practice, indicating a positive impact on future patient care.
• Knowledge gains were observed in students, highlighting the value of foundational palliative care concepts.

Conclusions:

• The virtual IPC seminar effectively improved knowledge and fostered interdisciplinary collaboration among students.
• This educational model increases the capacity to train more learners in palliative and hospice care.
• The program has a significant regional impact, particularly in rural areas with limited access to palliative care services.