Journal
JOURNAL OF PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
Volume 20, Issue 2, Pages 141-146Publisher
MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC
DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2016.0293
Keywords
palliative care; palliative medicine; postgraduate medical education; residency; self-rated competence; training
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Background: Doctors report inadequate training and lack confidence in providing palliative care. Although palliative care training improves self-assessed competence, it is not known whether the duration of a palliative medicine (PM) posting affects the extent of improvement in confidence. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether the duration of a PM posting affects the extent of improvement in doctors' confidence in various aspects of palliative care. Methods: This was a retrospective study analyzing doctors' self-rated competence level in different aspects of palliative care at the start and end of a PM posting. The change in scores was analyzed to determine the extent of improvement corresponding to the length of the posting. Seventy-one residents and medical officers participated in the study, which was conducted in a hospital-based palliative care consultative service. Results: Participants reported low baseline self-rated competence in palliative care. A longer posting duration resulted in a greater improvement in the doctors' confidence across different domains of palliative care, particularly in end-of-life communication. Conclusion: A one-month posting may suffice in training a doctor in basic end-of-life medical issues, but a longer posting duration results in a greater improvement in the doctors' confidence across different domains of palliative care, particularly in end-of-life communication. Trainee doctors in specialties that frequently deal with terminally ill patients should undertake a longer posting in PM to be further equipped with greater confidence to better care for these patients.
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