An Interdisciplinary Model of Palliative Care Fellowship Training: From Application Through Graduation (405)

Abstract

1.Describe a model of an interdisciplinary palliative care training program.2.List potential benefits to this type of education for the postgraduate trainees, patient and the family. The literature suggests that the best practice of palliative care is provided by highly trained clinicians in an interdisciplinary model of care. Our interdisciplinary fellowship program includes physician, nurse practitioner, and social work trainees. We have created a year-long training in palliative care that provides students with an integrated curriculum and practice. We are pushing the envelope as educators to further investigate whether an interdisciplinary fellowship education will improve the trainee's understanding of the value of interdisciplinary work, enhance the respect of the work of colleagues in other disciplines, help define the trainee's role on the interdisciplinary team and ultimately improve patient care. We believe our pediatric training program can serve as a model for other interdisciplinary training experiences in palliative care. From the application process through graduation from the program, training occurs both separately and specific to the discipline, and at the same time occurs together across disciplines. The palliative care educator in each discipline provides the trainee with an individualized, intensive mentorship in their specific discipline of medicine, nursing, and social work. Fellows have multiple opportunities to deepen their attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, and skills in communication, symptom management, psychosocial and spiritual support, end-of-life care, and bereavement. This comprehensive interdisciplinary education occurs at the bedside, during the consult, in educational sessions, in the clinic, and in the patient's home. A paradigm of a palliative care interdisciplinary fellowship program will be described with the opportunity to explore development, implementation, and evaluation of interdisciplinary training in various arenas of palliative care education. Structure and Processes of Care