Raising the bar for the care of seriously ill patients: results of a national survey to define essential palliative care competencies for medical students and residents.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Given the shortage of palliative care specialists in the United States, to ensure quality of care for patients with serious, life-threatening illness, generalist-level palliative care competencies need to be defined and taught. The purpose of this study was to define essential competencies for medical students and internal medicine and family medicine (IM/FM) residents through a national survey of palliative care experts.

Method

Proposed competencies were derived from existing hospice and palliative medicine fellowship competencies and revised to be developmentally appropriate for students and residents. In spring 2012, the authors administered a Web-based, national cross-sectional survey of palliative care educational experts to assess ratings and rankings of propos

SUBMITTER: Schaefer KG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4077186 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature