Palliative care training: a survey of physicians in Australia and Europe.
The purpose of this paper is to present data about the level and background characteristics of physicians' training in palliative care in Australia (AU), Belgium (BE), Denmark (DK), Italy (IT), The Netherlands (NL), Sweden (SE) and Switzerland (CH) (n = 16,486). The response rate to an anonymous questionnaire differed between countries (39%-68%). In most countries approximately half of all responding physicians had any formal training in palliative care (median: 3-10 days). Exceptions were NL (78%) and IT (35%). The most common type of training was a postgraduate course. Physicians in nursing home medicine (only in NL), geriatrics, oncology (not in NL), and general practice had the most training. In all seven countries, physicians with such training discussed options for palliative care and options to forgo life-sustaining treatment more often with their patients than did physicians without. Irrespective of earlier palliative care training, 87%-98% of the physicians wanted extended training.
Löfmark
Rurik
R
Centre for Bioethics, Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mortier
Freddy
F
Nilstun
Tore
T
Bosshard
Georg
G
Cartwright
Colleen
C
Van Der Heide
Agnes
A
Norup
Michael
M
Simonato
Lorenzo
L
Onwuteaka-Philipsen
Bregje
B
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003479:Curriculum; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016312:Treatment Refusal