Designing and Developing Interprofessional Learning Experiences in Palliative Care: A Collaborative Workshop Approach

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Team-based care is crucial in palliative care, yet limited interprofessional education (IPE) leads to fragmented learning.
• A gap exists in preparing healthcare providers for collaborative care during the active dying process.
• This project developed a workshop to bridge this educational gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, implement, and evaluate an Interprofessional Education Exchange (IPEX) Death and Dying workshop.
• To foster interdisciplinary collaboration among subspecialty learners.
• To enhance participants' comfort with essential palliative care competencies.

Main Methods:

• A full-day, case-based workshop was created using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation (ADDIE) model.
• The workshop emphasized experiential and collaborative learning strategies.
• Two workshops were conducted in 2022 and 2023 with 25 participants from palliative medicine, geriatrics, nursing, and psychology.

Main Results:

• Post-workshop surveys indicated improved participant comfort in providing anticipatory guidance, addressing spiritual distress, and supporting grief and bereavement.
• Significant increases in interprofessional collaboration and professional growth were observed.
• Participants reported enhanced communication and a better understanding of interprofessional roles in end-of-life care.

Conclusions:

• The IPEX Death and Dying workshop effectively enhanced competencies and interprofessional collaboration among palliative care trainees.
• This educational model shows promise for wider adoption in healthcare settings to improve care for seriously ill patients.
• The workshop successfully promoted shared understanding and skills for managing the complexities of active dying.