A Preceptor Model for Introducing Undergraduate Medical Students to Palliative Medicine

Instruments used to measure the effectiveness of palliative care education initiatives at the undergraduate level: a critical literature review

“…Changes to participants’ confidence in palliative care delivery were measured by Mason and Ellershaw20 21 using the Self-Efficacy in Palliative Care (SEPC) Scale 28. The 23-item SEPC contains three distinct subscales (communication, patient management and multi-professional team work).…”

“…Knowledge was also assessed by Velayudhan et al 19 using a multiple-choice format. Finally, the SEPC28 incorporated by Mason and Ellershaw20 21 measured confidence in performing practice-based objectives on a 100 mm visual analogue scale.…”

“…Kumar et al 23 reported the test–retest reliability for a pilot of the PTiPC-KABE Scale for 24 participants. In contrast, the SEPC28 and TS37 were rigorously validated in the studies by Mason and Ellershaw 20 21. Internal consistency, measured by Cronbach's α, was most often used 14 17 20–22.…”

“…For example the PTiPC-KABE Scale23 assessed the palliative care related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences of physical therapy students. The measures were most often directed at assessing nursing students (PCQN,27 FATCOD,33 CIDS,35 ‘Concerns about caring for dying patients questionnaire’,14 Completion Survey),18 medical students (SEPC,28 Concept of a Good Death,40 CD)41 or both (TS,36 Attitudes about Care at the End of Life,31 Palliative Care Knowledge Questionnaire) 19. Two were directed at more diverse populations (FATCOD, Form B, Revised Collett–Lester Fear of Death Scale) 25 38…”

Assessing undergraduate palliative care education: validity and reliability of two scales examining perceived efficacy and outcome expectancies in palliative care

“…The Self‐efficacy in Palliative Care (SEPC) Scale was developed from a questionnaire originally designed to assess the effect of a preceptorship programme in palliative care for Australian undergraduate medical students 11 . Results from the Australian study highlighted the strengths of experiential placements in promoting learning and skill development in areas of medicine that lie outside the traditional teaching hospital.…”