Soins palliatifs et médecine

Abstrait

A Pilot Study on Undergraduate Palliative Care Education A Study on Changes in Knowledge, Attitudes and Self-Perception

Karger A, Scherg A, Schmitz A, Wenzel-Meyburg U, Raski B, Vogt H, Schatte G, Schatz M, Schnell MW and Schulz C

Background: Since 2013 medical faculties in Germany have to teach and assess palliative care issues. Objective: Evaluation of a one-week intensive seminar in palliative care with regard to cognitive and affective learning objectives. Methods: Exploratory prospective naturalistic study with pre (T1) and post (T2) measurement, investigating medical students' (N=31) knowledge, opinions and attitudes as well as estimation in self-efficacy regarding palliative care issues. The sample contains of undergraduate medical students before and after an interdisciplinary palliative care course (40 teaching units) held at the Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf, Germany. Results: Upon completion of the seminar, students demonstrated a significant increase of palliative care-related knowledge and a positive self-estimation in competence and self-efficacy with regard to treating and caring for dying patients. However, no changes were found on the subject of a greater acceptance and reduced fear of death and dying. Conclusions: The acquisition of affective learning objectives with regard to essential attitudes towards death and dying may require a longer learning process and thus a longitudinal implementation into medical school curricula.