Ens C.D.L., Chochinov H.M., Gwyther E., Moses S., Jackson C., Thompson G., Harding R.
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Manitoba FASD Centre, MB, Canada; Manitoba Palliative Care Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada; Centre for Global Public Health, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada; Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada; School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, School of Medicine at Guy's, King's and St Thomas Hospitals Carla
Ens, C.D.L., Faculty of Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Manitoba FASD Centre, MB, Canada; Chochinov, H.M., Manitoba Palliative Care Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada; Gwyther, E., School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Moses, S., Centre for Global Public Health, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada; Jackson, C., School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Thompson, G., Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, MB, Canada; Harding, R., Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, School of Medicine at Guy's, King's and St Thomas Hospitals Carla
Aim. We aimed to assess the postgraduate palliative care distance education programme of the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of its perceived ability to influence palliative care delivery. Methods. A mixed-methods approach, consisting of two surveys using open-ended and multiple-choice options, was conducted from January to December 2007 at the UCT School of Public Health and Family Medicine. All students registered in the programme from 2000 - 2007 were invited to participate; 83 (66.4% of all eligible participants) completed the general survey, and 41 (65.7%) of the programme's graduates completed the graduate survey. The survey scores and open-ended data were triangulated to evaluate UCT's palliative care postgraduate programme. Results. General survey scores of graduates were significantly higher in 5 of the 6 categories in comparison with current students. The graduate survey indicated that curriculum and teaching strengths were in communication and dealing with challenging encounters. Graduates also stressed the need to develop a curriculum that incorporated a practical component. Conclusions. In addition to current postgraduate training, palliative care education in South Africa should be extended to undergraduate medical students, as the benefits of UCT's programme were limited to a small cohort of practitioners.
article; controlled study; curriculum development; education program; female; health care delivery; human; male; medical student; palliative therapy; postgraduate education; South Africa; teaching; Education, Medical, Graduate; Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Humans; Palliative Care; South Africa