gms | German Medical Science

4th Research in Medical Education (RIME) Symposium 2015

19.03-21.03.2015, München

Students‘ use of e-learning in undergraduate palliative care education (UPCE)

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author Christian Schulz - University Hospital Düsseldorf, Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Düsseldorf, Gmerany; Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • author Ursula Wenzel-Meyburg - University Hospital Düsseldorf, Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Düsseldorf, Gmerany; Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • author Katharina Fetz - University Clinic Düsseldorf, Clinical Institute for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Düsseldorf, Germany; Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • author André Karger - University Clinic Düsseldorf, Clinical Institute for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Düsseldorf, Germany; Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • author Alexandra Scherg - University Hospital Düsseldorf, Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Düsseldorf, Gmerany; Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • author Andrea Schmitz - University Hospital Düsseldorf, Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Düsseldorf, Gmerany; Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf, Germany

4th Research in Medical Education (RIME) Symposium 2015. München, 19.-21.03.2015. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2015. DocS2B5

doi: 10.3205/15rime28, urn:nbn:de:0183-15rime288

Published: March 12, 2015

© 2015 Schulz et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. You are free: to Share - to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/.


Outline

Text

Background: Undergraduate palliative care education (UPCE) became mandatory in German Medical Curricula by 2013. The aim of this survey was to examine students’ acceptance of an innovative interprofessional e-Learning course ("Basics in Palliative Care"). Learning objectives were based on a systematic curricular development process. The course was designed to prepare medical students for a written exam in palliative care. Didactic methods used were interactive case study, virtual standardized patients (VSPs), e-Lecture sequences and interprofessional education [1]. Students received continuous online and telephone support. We assumed that this novel approach would lead to sufficient preparation for knowledge assessment and yield high acceptance within the cohort. Further, we evaluated post-intervention self-assessment of competence in dealing with dying patients and their families, knowledge in palliative care symptom control and perceived skills in communication [2].

Method: Questionnaire-based cross-sectional study of clinical (fourth- and fifth-year) medical students (N=628) at Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine-University Dusseldorf, Germany, between summer semester 2013 to summer semester 2014. A twenty items multiple choice questionnaire, the German version of the Program in Palliative Care Education and Practice Evaluation (PCEP-Harvard Instrument), and a ten items self-developed acceptance questionnaire were used for evaluation. The data were collected after completion of the e-learning course.

Results: Student acceptance of this teaching method was high (mean 1.8 [1-6]; n=628; SD=0.8). Post-intervention assessment of self-efficacy in palliative care competence was high. The test results of the multiple choice exam showed a Gaussian distribution.

Discussion: The use of e-Learning in UPCE was widely accepted by medical students. Self-assessment of competence in palliative care increased but more practice-based training was requested by the students. An important task for further didactic research in UPCE is to explore the longitudinal effects and limitations of e-Learning-based approaches.


References

1.
Schulz C, Wenzel-Meyburg U, Karger A, in der Schmitten J, Trapp T, Schmitz A. ELearning in palliative care - implementation of a virtual patient case in the teaching. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Medizinische Ausbildung, Graz, 26.-28.09.2013. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2013. DocP01_11. DOI: 10.3205/13gma011 External link
2.
Choules AP. The use of elearning in medical education. A review of the current situation. Postgrad Med. 2007;93:212-216. DOI: 101136/pgmj.2006.054189 External link