Background: Although the provision of palliative care (PC) is fundamental to the role of the physician, little research has assessed the competence of trainee and experienced physicians in PC.
Aim: To describe the development of a competence questionnaire and assess the level of competence of medical doctors in Ireland to provide PC to individuals with life-limiting conditions and their families.
Design: A survey-based cohort study was employed using a questionnaire based on the Palliative Care Competence Framework, developed specifically for this study.
Setting: The sample was accessed via the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. All specialties in adult medical care and direct patient contact were included.
Results: A pilot study demonstrated comprehensiveness and ensured face validity. In the main study, all subscales showed internal reliability and evidence of a normal distribution. Strong correlation was noted between knowledge and behavior while moderate correlations were noted between attitudes and behavior and attitudes and knowledge, respectively. As expected, palliative-trained participants scored significantly higher in attitudes, behavior, and knowledge.
Conclusions: The study provides baseline data on the level of competence of PC of doctors working in Ireland. The study also offers a novel assessment tool that has the potential to be used for future research.
Keywords: education; psychometrics; training and development.