Interprofessional training: Geriatrics and palliative care principles for primary care teams in an ACO

Abstract

There is a well-described need to increase the competence of the primary care workforce in the principles of geriatrics and palliative care, and as value-based payment models proliferate, there is increased incentive for the acquisition of these skills. Through a Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program grant, we developed an adaptable curriculum around commonly encountered topics in palliative care and geriatrics that can be delivered to multidisciplinary clinicians in primary care settings. All participants in this training were part of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) and were motivated to improve to care for complex older adults. A needs assessment was performed on each practice or group of learners and the curriculum was adapted accordingly. With the use of patient education and screening tools with strong validity evidence, the participants were trained in the principals of geriatrics and palliative care with a focus on advance care planning and assessing for frailty and functional decline. Comparison of pre- and post-test scores demonstrated increased confidence and knowledge in goals of care and basic geriatric assessment. Participants described feeling more able to address needs, have conversations around goals of care, and more able to recognize patients who would benefit from collaboration with geriatrics and palliative care.

The Overlap Between Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care: A Scoping Literature Review

“…This indicates that describing the relationship between palliative care and any other area of medicine may be complicated if palliative care is seen as widespread and not a specific role or set of tasks. Moreover, in reality, patient care spans beyond both of these two specialties, and more could be done to understand how multiple groups of professionals work together and the training needed to enable this kind of interprofessional working (Lally et al, 2019).…”

“…Moreover, in reality, patient care spans beyond both of these two specialities and more could be done to understand how multiple groups of professionals work together and the training needed to enable this kind of interprofessional working (Lally et al, 2019).…”

Effects of an advance care planning educational programme intervention on the end-of-life care attitudes of multidisciplinary practitioners at an acute hospital: A pre- and post-study

“…This was one of the few studies that evaluated the effect of an advance care planning education programme on medical practitioners, which was essential as prior studies have only shown the immediate effects, but not the continued effects, of such a programme. 29–31 Therefore, it is noteworthy that the educational effects continued after 6 months. Moreover, the inclusion of multidisciplinary practitioners also proved advantageous.…”

A Novel Interprofessional Palliative Care and Geriatrics Curriculum for Nephrology Teams

“…The ACO medical directors previously developed an adaptable curriculum in the principles of geriatrics and palliative care which they had delivered to primary care teams. 14 This curriculum was focused on the basics of geriatric assessment, symptom management, and communication skills for goals of care conversations. The clinicians at the nephrology practice expressed interest in this curriculum with modifications to align with their patient population.…”