Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Multidisciplinary Palliative Care Curriculum for Obstetrician Gynecologist Residents

TL;DR

This paper describes the creation and success of a palliative care training program for OBGYN residents, improving their knowledge and confidence in managing serious illnesses.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel, multidisciplinary palliative care curriculum specifically designed for OBGYN residents.

Findings

Residents showed marked improvement in knowledge and perceived competence after the curriculum.

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with residents valuing the curriculum's impact on future care.

The curriculum included clinical experiences, chalk talks, and online didactics.

Abstract

Palliative care focuses on providing relief from the stress and symptoms of serious illness. Obstetrician gynecologists (OBGYNs) manage a variety of complex clinical situations ranging from delivering a cancer diagnosis to caring for a neonatal demise to symptom management, all of which fall within the realm of palliative care. Palliative care is relevant to the practice of OBGYNs, yet residents rarely receive formal primary palliative care training. We sought to design, implement, and evaluate a dedicated curriculum on palliative care for OBGYN residents.

We performed a needs assessment of an OBGYN residency at a single institution. This information was used to develop a multidisciplinary palliative care curriculum. Post-curriculum surveys were distributed and analyzed. Descriptive statistics were utilized.

Our needs assessment identified a lack of knowledge and competency in palliative care concepts and skills. Using this information, we created a multidisciplinary palliative care curriculum, including clinical experiences, chalk talks, and online didactics. Post-curriculum surveys revealed a marked improvement in both knowledge base and perceived competence. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive; residents indicated that the curriculum was both a valuable use of time and would impact their provision of care in the future.

A dedicated palliative care curriculum is an impactful addition to OBGYN training.

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