Establishment of consensus on content and learning objectives for an interprofessional education in childhood cancer: a Delphi survey

Abstract

BackgroundComplex treatment, care and rehabilitation require continuous healthcare professional development and maintenance of competencies in collaboration with other professionals. Interprofessional education in childhood cancer involves several groups of healthcare professionals with both general and specific knowledge and skills.ObjectiveTo establish consensus on content and interprofessional learning objectives for an interprofessional education in childhood cancer.DesignA three-round Delphi survey in Scandinavian childhood cancer departments.ParticipantsHealthcare professionals appointed by their head of departments and head nurses based on their profession and their involvement in continuing professional development.Main outcome measuresA prioritised list of interprofessional learning objectives with a mean score of ≥3 on a five-point scale (1=not relevant, 5=extremely relevant).Results12 childhood cancer departments participated with 30 healthcare professionals: 11 nurses, 10 medical doctors, 5 social workers, 2 physiotherapists and 2 pedagogues. In total, 28 (93%), 25 (83%) and 22 (73%) completed the first, second and third round, respectively. In the first round, we asked open-ended questions and used directed content analysis to analyse 386 statements. We formulated 170 interprofessional learning objectives in six categories: (1) acute life-threatening situations, (2) gastrointestinal toxicities and side effects, (3) pain, (4) palliation, (5) play and activity, and (6) prescription and administration of medicine. The second round resulted in 168 interprofessional learning objectives receiving a mean score of ≥3 on a five-point scale. Final agreement in the third round resulted in a prioritised list of 168 learning objectives.ConclusionsConsensus on content and interprofessional learning objectives for an interprofessional education in childhood cancer was established across five groups of healthcare professionals in three countries. Some learning objectives are generic and can be applied in settings other than childhood cancer, where healthcare professionals collaborate to provide patients and families optimal treatment and care.

Postgraduate Interprofessional Case-Based Learning in Childhood Cancer: A Feasibility Study

“…An interprofessional research group consisting of four doctors and two nurses designed the case based on the learning objectives from the Delphi study [14] and on casebased learning literature [7,17,[20][21][22][23]. Details on the development and testing of the case are presented in the study protocol [16,18].…”

“…Subsequently, we formulated aims and objectives based on a three-round Scandinavian Delphi study [14] identifying 168 learning objectives in six categories: acute lifethreatening situations, gastrointestinal side effects, pain, palliation, play and activity, and the prescription and administration of medicine.…”

Interprofessional versus monoprofessional case-based learning in childhood cancer and the effect on healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes: study protocol for a randomised trial

“…The intervention design is based on the CBL literature [10][11][12] and the research team's didactic experience. To answer the study aims of increasing the healthcare professionals' knowledge of gastrointestinal side effects and attitude toward team collaboration, we developed a case based on national guidelines, standard operating procedures and the identified learning objectives from the Delphi study [9]. The CBL method originating from the Harvard Business School engages participants in a structured manner towards uncovering decisions process' and actions patterns [13].…”

“…This randomised trial is part of Martha Krogh Topperzer’s PhD project entitled: “Interprofessional education in childhood cancer”. In addition to a publication resulting from this trial, other publications [ 8 , 9 ] will comprise her PhD dissertation.…”

“…In a three-round Scandinavian Delphi study to establish consensus on learning objectives for an interprofessional education programme in childhood cancer [ 9 ], 30 designated experts from 12 out of 14 childhood cancer departments in Denmark, Norway and Sweden identified 168 learning objectives in six categories: 1) acute life-threatening situations, 2) gastrointestinal side effects, 3) pain, 4) palliation, 5) play and activity, and 6) prescription and administration of medicine.…”