title: Adaptation, dissemination, and evaluation of a cancer palliative care curriculum for the Indian health system.
abstract: In 2006, the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) collaborated to develop an interdisciplinary palliative training program for health professionals in the Indian health system. Their goal was to improve clinician knowledge and skills in palliative care, to train future trainers, and to increase access to palliative care for American Indians and Alaska Natives. The combined program of participant self-study utilizing a multimedia CD-ROM and train-the-trainer seminars followed the curriculum entitled Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Oncology (EPEC-O) with American Indian and Alaska Native Cultural Considerations. Three seminars trained 89 interdisciplinary health providers from throughout the Indian health system. Evaluations demonstrated increased clinician self-reported knowledge and confidence to train and high satisfaction with training. Forty-two of 67 participants completed an anonymous post-conference Web questionnaire. Nearly half had conducted or definitively planned palliative education sessions, and 57 percent started new palliative services at their practice sites.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 6116 Executive Blvd., Suite 410/Room 4104, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA. arenellac@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arenella
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Finke
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Domer
authors.forename: Judith S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Melanie P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Merriman
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ousley
mesh_terms: D016251:CD-ROM; D003479:Curriculum; D004517:Education, Professional / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D004930:Inuit; D019212:Multimedia; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States