A Systematic Review of Interprofessional Palliative Care Education Programs

Context. Interprofessional education (IPE) involving palliative and end-of-life content benefits learners by addressing interprofessional and palliative care (PC) competency needs. Objectives. A synthesis of educational approaches promoting interprofessional PC in academic and clinical settings would address research gaps and promote effective teaching. Methods. A systematic review of interprofessional PC educational studies was conducted to summarize current approaches in PC IPE and to appraise teaching and research methods. Characteristics of excellence in interprofessional PC education established by Donesky et al. served as a framework for evaluating studies in this systematic review. Results. A total of 39 articles met inclusion criteria for this review. Learners from medicine and nursing were the most included professions. University programs represented most studies, and evaluation methods demonstrated achievement of mostly self-reported outcomes like learner attitude and self-efficacy. While the effect of interprofessional collaboration on patient outcomes is well-documented, the effect of IPE on PC delivery is not. Although content spanned all interprofessional and PC domains, few studies addressed cultural aspects and fewer addressed well-being for the care provider. Conclusion. In light of the current healthcare landscape, there is an imminent need to address culture and provider wellbeing more directly through interprofessional PC education. Education and research must also move beyond university programs into health systems to support the professional development of clinicians for systems integration, sustainability, and impact on patient outcomes. Future evaluation of interprofessional PC education would be strengthened by multisite studies, randomized controlled trials, and repeated measures looking at outcomes over time. J Pain Symptom Manage 2023;65:e439 -e466. (c) 2023 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study conducted a systematic review of interprofessional palliative and end-of-life education. The findings suggest the need for more emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, cultural aspects, and healthcare provider well-being in educational programs. Furthermore, future research should focus on the integration of palliative care education into healthcare systems and the impact on patient outcomes.