Palliative Care e-Learning for Physicians Caring for Critically Ill and Dying Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Outcome Evaluation with Self-Assessed Knowledge and Attitude

Jacqueline Schwartz; Manuela Schallenburger; Theresa Tenge; Yann-Nicolas Batzler; Daniel Schlieper; Detlef Kindgen-Milles; Stefan Meier; Günter Niegisch; André Karger; Christoph Roderburg; Martin Neukirchen

doi:10.3390/ijerph191912377

Palliative Care e-Learning for Physicians Caring for Critically Ill and Dying Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Outcome Evaluation with Self-Assessed Knowledge and Attitude

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Sep 28;19(19):12377. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191912377.

Affiliations

¹ Interdisciplinary Center for Palliative Medicine, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
² Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
³ Department of Urology, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
⁴ Institute for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
⁵ Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the care of critically ill and dying patients in isolation wards, intensive care units (ICUs), and regular wards was severely impaired. In order to support physicians in communicative and palliative care skills, an e-learning tool was developed as part of the joint project "Palliative Care in Pandemic Times" (PallPan). This study investigates the feasibility of this e-learning tool. Secondly, we aim to analyze changes in knowledge and attitude upon completion of the e-learning tool. A 38-item questionnaire-based evaluation study with assessment of global and specific outcomes including ICU and non-ICU physicians was performed. In total, 24 questionnaires were included in the anonymous analysis. Feasibility was confirmed by a very high rate of overall satisfaction (94% approval), with relevance reaching 99% approval. Overall, we detected high gains in knowledge and noticeably lower gains on the attitude plane, with the highest gain in naming reasons for incorporating palliative care. The lowest learning gain on the attitude plane was observed when the participants were confronted with their own mortality. This study shows that e-learning is a feasible tool for gaining knowledge and even changing the attitudes of physicians caring for critically ill and dying patients in a self-assessment evaluation.

Keywords: COVID-19; e-learning; education and training; end-of-life care; palliative care; symptom management.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Attitude of Health Personnel
COVID-19* / epidemiology
Computer-Assisted Instruction*
Critical Illness
Humans
Palliative Care
Pandemics
Physicians*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Terminal Care*

Grants and funding

The publication fee of this study was generously provided by the open access fund of Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf. PallPan in general and the development of the e-learning used in this study are funded within the Network University Medicine by the German Ministry of Education and Research (Förderkennzeichen 01KX2021). The funding body has no role in the design of the study and the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.