title: Effects of Palliative Care Training Program on Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs and Experiences Among Student Physiotherapists: A Preliminary Quasi-experimental Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physiotherapists play an inherent role in the multidisciplinary palliative care team. Existing knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences influence their team participation in palliative care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to assess the changes in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences among student physiotherapists who attended a palliative care training program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preliminary quasi-experimental study design, conducted at an academic institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two student physiotherapists of either gender (12 male, 40 female) of age (20.51±1.78 years) who attended a palliative care training program which comprised lectures and case examples of six-hours duration participated in this study. The study was performed after getting institutional approval and obtaining participants' written informed consent. The lecture content comprised WHO definition of palliative care, spiritual aspects of life, death and healing, principles, levels and models of palliative care, and role of physiotherapists in a palliative care team. The physical therapy in palliative care-knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences scale (PTiPC-KABE Scale)- modified from palliative care attitudes scale were used for assessing the participants before and after the program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test at 95% confidence interval using SPSS 11.5 for Windows.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were noted for all four subscales- knowledge (7.84±4.61 points), attitudes (9.46±8.06 points), beliefs (4.88±3.29 points) and experiences (15.8±11.28 points) out of a total score of 104 points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The focus-group training program produced a significant positive change about palliative care in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences among student physiotherapists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Kasturba Medical College (Manipal University), Mangalore, India.
authors.forename: Senthil P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jim
authors.forename: Vaishali
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sisodia