The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physicians Certification Programs across Countries/Regions

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care
• Health Policy

Background:

• The increasing demand for end-of-life care necessitates well-structured training and certification for palliative medicine specialists.
• South Korea established a palliative care physician certification system in 2019, managed by the Korean Society for Hospice and Palliative Care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and compare hospice and palliative medicine certification programs in eight countries/regions.
• To identify key differences and derive insights for improving South Korea's physician training and certification system.

Main Methods:

• Comparative review of palliative medicine certification programs.
• Analysis of training durations, clinical experience requirements, and governance structures.

Main Results:

• Most reviewed countries/regions recognize palliative medicine as a subspecialty with standardized training pathways.
• Training durations vary, from 1-year fellowships to multiyear programs with extensive clinical experience.
• South Korea's system currently lacks sufficient clinical depth and government recognition, impacting its long-term viability.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing training duration, expanding clinical exposure, and promoting multispecialty collaboration are vital for strengthening palliative care in Korea.
• Implementing a tiered certification system, tailored to Korea's healthcare context and supported by government policy, could significantly improve palliative care services.
• These findings offer a basis for policy and educational reforms to ensure effective and sustainable training of palliative care professionals in Korea.