Effects of a Multimodule Curriculum of Palliative Care on Medical Students
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of educational intervention using a multimodule curriculum of palliative care on medical students, and to explore significant factors that influence improvement in beliefs of ethical decision-making. Methods: A total of 259 medical students...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2008-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of the Formosan Medical Association |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929664608600947 |
| _version_ | 1818890494382440448 |
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| author | Stanley S.L. Tsai Wen-Yu Hu Hao-Hsiang Chang Shan-Chwen Chang Chin-Yu Chen Tai-Yuan Chiu |
| author_facet | Stanley S.L. Tsai Wen-Yu Hu Hao-Hsiang Chang Shan-Chwen Chang Chin-Yu Chen Tai-Yuan Chiu |
| author_sort | Stanley S.L. Tsai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of educational intervention using a multimodule curriculum of palliative care on medical students, and to explore significant factors that influence improvement in beliefs of ethical decision-making.
Methods: A total of 259 medical students enrolled in the “Family, Society and Medicine” course, and accepted a multimodule palliative care curriculum that included a 1-hour lecture, 1 hour of patient contact, 1 hour of literature reading, and 1 hour of discussion. A questionnaire was administered before and after the course to evaluate improvements in medical students' knowledge (principles and clinical management) of palliative care and their beliefs concerning ethical decision-making in palliative care.
Results: The students showed significant improvements after the course in their knowledge of the principles of palliative care (pretest 58.4% vs. posttest 73.1%; p < 0.01) and clinical management of palliative care (pretest 58.8% vs. posttest 67.9%; p < 0.01). Although their beliefs about ethical decision-making were also improved after the course, the medical students did not have a positive belief of “artificial nutrition and hydration is not always beneficial for terminal cancer patients”, with a mean score of only 3.15 and 3.51 (pretest and posttest, respectively; range, 1-5). The logistic regression model showed that improvement in knowledge of either principles or clinical management did not significantly improve beliefs about ethical decision-making.
Conclusion: A multimodule curriculum of palliative care for medical students can significantly improve their knowledge on principles of clinical management and beliefs about ethical decision-making in palliative care. As for changes in beliefs about ethical decision-making in palliative care, continued ethical and clinical training is required. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T17:25:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b191a20c2dbd4dda9b6214ee32c9cde0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0929-6646 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T17:25:48Z |
| publishDate | 2008-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of the Formosan Medical Association |
| spelling | doaj.art-b191a20c2dbd4dda9b6214ee32c9cde02022-12-21T20:12:34ZengElsevierJournal of the Formosan Medical Association0929-66462008-04-01107432633310.1016/S0929-6646(08)60094-7Effects of a Multimodule Curriculum of Palliative Care on Medical StudentsStanley S.L. Tsai0Wen-Yu Hu1Hao-Hsiang Chang2Shan-Chwen Chang3Chin-Yu Chen4Tai-Yuan Chiu5Department of Medical Education, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, TaiwanSchool of Nursing, National Taiwan University Hospital Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei, TaiwanDepartment of Family Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei, TaiwanDepartment of General Internal Medicine, College of Medicine and Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanDepartment of Family Medicine, College of Medicine and Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanDepartment of Family Medicine, College of Medicine and Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanThe objective of this study was to investigate the effects of educational intervention using a multimodule curriculum of palliative care on medical students, and to explore significant factors that influence improvement in beliefs of ethical decision-making. Methods: A total of 259 medical students enrolled in the “Family, Society and Medicine” course, and accepted a multimodule palliative care curriculum that included a 1-hour lecture, 1 hour of patient contact, 1 hour of literature reading, and 1 hour of discussion. A questionnaire was administered before and after the course to evaluate improvements in medical students' knowledge (principles and clinical management) of palliative care and their beliefs concerning ethical decision-making in palliative care. Results: The students showed significant improvements after the course in their knowledge of the principles of palliative care (pretest 58.4% vs. posttest 73.1%; p < 0.01) and clinical management of palliative care (pretest 58.8% vs. posttest 67.9%; p < 0.01). Although their beliefs about ethical decision-making were also improved after the course, the medical students did not have a positive belief of “artificial nutrition and hydration is not always beneficial for terminal cancer patients”, with a mean score of only 3.15 and 3.51 (pretest and posttest, respectively; range, 1-5). The logistic regression model showed that improvement in knowledge of either principles or clinical management did not significantly improve beliefs about ethical decision-making. Conclusion: A multimodule curriculum of palliative care for medical students can significantly improve their knowledge on principles of clinical management and beliefs about ethical decision-making in palliative care. As for changes in beliefs about ethical decision-making in palliative care, continued ethical and clinical training is required.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929664608600947curriculumethical decision-makingpalliative careundergraduate |
| spellingShingle | Stanley S.L. Tsai Wen-Yu Hu Hao-Hsiang Chang Shan-Chwen Chang Chin-Yu Chen Tai-Yuan Chiu Effects of a Multimodule Curriculum of Palliative Care on Medical Students Journal of the Formosan Medical Association curriculum ethical decision-making palliative care undergraduate |
| title | Effects of a Multimodule Curriculum of Palliative Care on Medical Students |
| title_full | Effects of a Multimodule Curriculum of Palliative Care on Medical Students |
| title_fullStr | Effects of a Multimodule Curriculum of Palliative Care on Medical Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of a Multimodule Curriculum of Palliative Care on Medical Students |
| title_short | Effects of a Multimodule Curriculum of Palliative Care on Medical Students |
| title_sort | effects of a multimodule curriculum of palliative care on medical students |
| topic | curriculum ethical decision-making palliative care undergraduate |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929664608600947 |
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