Benefits of a Nationwide Palliative Care Education Program on Lung Cancer Physicians

Abstract

Objective The early integration of palliative care into standard cancer treatment has become a global standard. The Palliative care Emphasis program on symptom management and Assessment for Continuous medical Education (PEACE) has been conducted in Japan, and previous studies have reported that the PEACE workshop was able to improve various palliative care skills of participants. However, whether or not the effects of the program are long-lasting and if the program consequently changed physicians’ practice with regard to lung cancer patients have been unclear. Methods Web-based surveys, including the palliative care knowledge test (PEACE-Q), the Palliative Care self-reported Practice Scale (PCPS), and the Palliative Care Difficulties Scale (PCDS), were conducted among lung cancer physicians in Japan. The differences in the survey results between participants and non-participants of the PEACE workshop were examined. Results Among 923 respondents (455 respiratory physicians, 345 pulmonary surgeons, and 123 others), 519 had participated in the PEACE workshop. The total PEACE-Q score was significantly higher in the PEACE workshop participants than in non-participants (28.0 versus 24.5, p＜0.0001). The score was significantly higher in respiratory physicians than in pulmonary surgeons (27.4 versus 25.5). The total PCPS and PCDS scores were also significantly better in workshop participants than in non-participants (71.8 versus 67.1 and 34.3 versus 36.9, respectively), although some domains of PCDS were similar between the groups. Conclusion The PEACE program improved the knowledge and practices with regard to palliative care and resolved difficulties associated therewith among lung cancer physicians. In regions where palliative care specialists are insufficient, such educational programs may be effective.

Difficulties Facing Junior Physicians and Solutions Toward Delivering End-of-Life Care for Patients with Cancer: A Nationwide Survey in Japan

“…Our research also revealed that the difficulties faced by junior physicians were higher than that noted in previous studies. 31–33 Physicians involved in end-of-life care are required to deal with physical, mental, psychosocial, and spiritual suffering of patients. Although communication and pain/symptom management have been recognized as important areas of competency required of residents delivering end-of-life care, junior physicians might face challenges in treating end-of-life patients and difficulties in their clinical practice because they lack experience and knowledge.…”

Barriers to and facilitators of implementation of the integration of oncology and palliative care in daily practice: a systematic review

“…Educating patients, their families, and HCPs on the essential signi cance of PC is an important task. The government has made several efforts to mitigate these issues, such as HCP education and policy awareness activities, and these have yielded attractive results [39][40][41]. However, since the effects of these interventions are not immediate, continuous efforts are warranted.…”

Comparative Analysis of the Attitudes toward Palliative Care between Medical Oncologists and Pulmonologists

“…One speculation relates to board certification curriculum differences between the two studied groups: that for board-certified medical oncologist includes palliative care and end of life care ( 22 ), whereas that for board-certified pulmonologists does not ( 23 ). Indeed, Inoue et al reported the benefits of a nationwide palliative care education program for lung cancer physicians ( 24 ). In corroboration, a study showed that education is very important to achieve integration between oncology and palliative care ( 25 ).…”