Effect of a compassion-focused training program in palliative care education for medical students.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Compassion is the key value of humanities perspective. Little is known, however, concerning the impact of enhancing compassion on ethical decision making in end-of-life care.

METHODS:

A total of 251 preclinical medical students were enrolled in a palliative care training course. A structured self-report questionnaire was administered before and after training.

RESULTS:

Experience with caring for patients with terminal cancer was positively related to improvement in the decision of "truth telling is helpful to a good death." In addition, improvement in the perception of "compassionate care" was correlated with higher improvement in the decision of "discharge planning and home care."

CONCLUSION:

Compassion-focused training program can be helpful to improve medical students' competence in making more appropriate ethical decisions in end-of-life care.

• Authors: Chih-Yuan Shih, Wen-Yu Hu, Long-Teng Lee, Chien-An Yao, Ching-Yu Chen, Tai-Yuan Chiu
• Journal: The American journal of hospice & palliative care (Am J Hosp Palliat Care) Vol. 30 Issue 2 Pg. 114-20 (Mar 2013) ISSN: 1938-2715 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22584149 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Attitude of Health Personnel
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Education, Medical (methods)
• Empathy
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Neoplasms (therapy)
• Palliative Care (ethics, psychology)
• Students, Medical (psychology)
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Terminal Care (methods, psychology)
• Young Adult