Palliative Care e-Learning for Physicians Caring for Critically Ill and Dying Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Outcome Evaluation with Self-Assessed Knowledge and Attitude

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the care of critically ill and dying patients in isolation wards, intensive care units (ICUs), and regular wards was severely impaired. In order to support physicians in communicative and palliative care skills, an e-learning tool was developed as part of the joint project “Palliative Care in Pandemic Times” (PallPan). This study investigates the feasibility of this e-learning tool. Secondly, we aim to analyze changes in knowledge and attitude upon completion of the e-learning tool. A 38-item questionnaire-based evaluation study with assessment of global and specific outcomes including ICU and non-ICU physicians was performed. In total, 24 questionnaires were included in the anonymous analysis. Feasibility was confirmed by a very high rate of overall satisfaction (94% approval), with relevance reaching 99% approval. Overall, we detected high gains in knowledge and noticeably lower gains on the attitude plane, with the highest gain in naming reasons for incorporating palliative care. The lowest learning gain on the attitude plane was observed when the participants were confronted with their own mortality. This study shows that e-learning is a feasible tool for gaining knowledge and even changing the attitudes of physicians caring for critically ill and dying patients in a self-assessment evaluation.

Implementing spiritual care education into the teaching of palliative medicine: an outcome evaluation

“…This is comparable to our study, as there were gains in knowledge after completing the mandatory seminar. We reached higher individual learning gains on the knowledge level than on the skills level, as was also the case in a number of other studies we conducted [ 31 ]. This is mainly because, due to the format of the seminar, no bedside teaching takes place and scenarios that might occur in everyday clinical practice can only be discussed and serve as examples.…”

“…The CSA gain is a well described and implemented method in evaluating actual knowledge gains in education [ 30 – 34 ]. This evaluation tool has the benefit of not taking into account experiences made beforehand as they are not contributing to the effect size [ 31 ]. CSA gain is calculated as followed: …”

“…Furthermore, CSA gain was calculated with a 95% confidence interval and standard error using individual learning gain (ILG) values. These values were calculated using the following formulas: ILG = 0 if pre = post and ILG = (pre − post)/(pre − 1) × 100 if pre > post [ 31 ]. …”