Development and Validation of a Tool to Assess the Structural Quality of Palliative Care Services

The development of an advanced diploma program for palliative care leaders in Chile

“…According to a 2022 analysis of 201 of the PC units across Chile, only 33% of physicians and 23% of nurses had received any formal training in PC, defined as a diploma level or higher. [5][6][7][8][9] The shortage of formal training is a critical barrier to the provision of high-quality PC services across Chile. Without robust, evidence-based training for clinicians, patients are unlikely to receive the physical, psychosocial and spiritual support of a comprehensive palliative care service.…”

“…4 This has led to the creation of 250 PC units across Chile, providing a mixture of outpatient and inpatient services. 5 These units also provide hospice and end-of-life care as an integrated part of comprehensive PC, as opposed to the more siloed model of hospice care that exists within the US and the UK. However, there is a substantial lack of formal training opportunities for clinicians that work in these units.…”

“…According to a 2022 analysis of 201 of the PC units across Chile, only 33% of physicians and 23% of nurses had received any formal training in PC, defined as a diploma level or higher. 5 – 9 …”

“… 9 Palliative care as a subspecialty was only recently recognized in Chile by the National Commission on Accreditation of Medical Subspecialties (CONACEM) in 2021. 5 To support the advancement of PC in Latin America, collaborators from Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, USA) and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile worked together to create a diploma-level course for physicians with at least 2 years of PC experience. This paper outlines the strategic process with which the structure and curriculum for the course were created.…”