Using online learning and interactive simulation to teach spiritual and cultural aspects of palliative care to interprofessional students.
BACKGROUND
To meet the complex needs of patients with serious illness, health professional students require education in basics aspects of palliative care, including how to work collaboratively on an interprofessional team.


OBJECTIVE
An educational program was created, implemented, and evaluated with students in medicine, nursing, chaplaincy, and social work. Five learning objectives emphasized spiritual, cultural, and interprofessional aspects of palliative care.


METHODS
The program blended two sequential components: an online interactive, case-based learning module, and a live, dynamic simulation workshop.


METHODS
Content analysis was used to analyze students' free-text responses to four reflections in the online case, as well as open-ended questions on students' postworkshop questionnaires, which were also analyzed quantitatively.


RESULTS
Analysis of 217 students' free-text responses indicated that students of all professions recognized important issues beyond their own discipline, the roles of other professionals, and the value of team collaboration. Quantitative analysis of 309 questionnaires indicated that students of all professions perceived that the program met its five learning objectives (mean response values>4 on a 5-point Likert scale), and highly rated the program and its two components for both educational quality and usefulness for future professional work (mean response values approximately>4).


CONCLUSIONS
This innovative interprofessional educational program combines online learning with live interactive simulation to teach professionally diverse students spiritual, cultural, and interprofessional aspects of palliative care. Despite the challenge of balanced professional representation, this innovative interprofessional educational program met its learning objectives, and may be transferable for use in other educational settings.
Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA. matthew.ellman@yale.edu
Matthew S
MS
Ellman
Dena
D
Schulman-Green
Leslie
L
Blatt
Susan
S
Asher
Diane
D
Viveiros
Joshua
J
Clark
Margaret
M
Bia
D000328:Adult; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods; D054521:Cultural Competency / Q000193:education*; D004501:Education, Medical; D004506:Education, Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058025:Interdisciplinary Studies; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D010327:Pastoral Care / Q000193:education; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012947:Social Work / Q000193:education; D029181:Spirituality; D013336:Students, Health Occupations