“Online Training Is Great but Human Interaction Is Better”: Training Preferences of VA Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Consult Teams

Abstract

A growing body of research has examined modalities for delivering palliative care education; however, we know little about education and training preferences of VA interdisciplinary Palliative Care Consult Teams (PCCT). In the BEACON II study, we explored training preferences of PCCTs from 46 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) participating in either a multisite webinar or a small group, in-person workshop. We interviewed participants by telephone seven to eight month post-training. In all, 75.9% preferred in-person education and training, including 78.9% of workshop participants and 73.1% of webinar participants. Respondents described in-person training as fostering learning through the following processes: (1) active engagement and focus, (2) interaction and networking, (3) meaning-making and relevance, and (4) reciprocity and commitment. Although it is not possible for Web-based palliative care education programs to replicate all aspects of the in-person learning experience, building experiential, interactive, meaningful, and reciprocal components into Web-based education may help shift preferences and make interdisciplinary team-based palliative care education accessible to a larger audience.

Comparison of Two Methods for Implementing Comfort Care Order Sets in the Inpatient Setting: a Cluster Randomized Trial

“…Because changes in practice patterns can be challenging and slow, especially in large organizations, future implementation trials might consider other approaches to behavior change or outcomes at other points in the pathway from training to patient outcomes. In conclusion, although an in-person workshop was the training modality preferred by providers from both groups in our analyses of qualitative interviews, 53 the teleconference is perhaps more economical and resource efficient. These findings can inform considerations of the optimal approaches to palliative care education and training and optimize further nationwide dissemination of best practices for end-of-life care in both VA and non-VA settings.…”

Palliative Care Always: Hepatology—Virtual Primary Palliative Care Training for Hepatologists

“…Learners benefited from the flexible learning environment and demonstrated that they were able to complete the course (both the required and optional content). A qualitative interview study by Williams et al ( 19 ) revealed that (1) being actively engaged, (2) having the opportunity to interact and network, (3) finding meaning and relevance, and (4) exercising reciprocity are common training preferences for learning PC. For this reason, PCA:Hep, similar to other online trainings in communication and PC, ( 26 , 27 , 28 ) integrated roleplay scenarios in addition to didactic lectures and patient‐provider demonstrations.…”

“…We sought to improve self‐efficacy of PC skills by balancing web‐based learning with the interactive practice sessions, as this approach has been shown to be acceptable ( 18 ) and aligns with preferred training practices of health care providers learning PC. ( 18 , 19 ) Additionally, we explored whether the trained hepatologists would translate these skills outside the PAL‐LIVER trial, thereby providing an extra layer of support to all patients. The purpose of this paper is to describe the formative and summative evaluations of PCA:Hep.…”

Nordic Specialist Course in Palliative Medicine: Evaluation and Impact on the Development of Palliative Medicine in the Nordic Countries: A Survey among Participants from Seven Courses 2003–2017

“…Have published an article from their NSCPM course project in a peer-reviewed journal placed in different Nordic locations once the Covid-19 pandemic allows it. 17 The networking aspects, the international faculty, and the reputation for high quality have made the course stay attractive, also when Sweden 18 and Finland 19 in later years have organized national courses to obtain formal approval in PM.…”