Palliative care clinicians and online education in India: a survey

Tayler Kiss-Lane, Department of Medicine, Section of Palliative Care, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
Odette Spruijt, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VCCC, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Dentistry and Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Thomas Day, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Vivian Lam, Department of Medicine, Section of Palliative Care, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
Kavitha J. Ramchandran, Department of Medicine, Section of Palliative Care, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
Sandy Chan, Palliative Care, Stanford Health Care, Palo Alto, California, USA
Gary Hsin, Department of Medicine, Section of Palliative Care, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA; Hospice and Palliative Medicine, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA
Nandini Vallath, Divison of Palliative Care, Tata Trusts Cancer Care Program, Mumbai, India
Sushma Bhatnagar, Onco-Ansesthesia, Pain and Palliative Care, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
M R. Rajagopal, Department of Research and Training, Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Karl A. Lorenz, Department of Medicine, Section of Palliative Care, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA; Hospice and Palliative Medicine, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2019

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Whether online resources can facilitate spread of palliative care knowledge and skills in India is an urgent question given few providers and a large, ageing population.

OBJECTIVES: We surveyed needs and feasibility regarding e-learning.

METHODS: Indian, Australian and North American palliative care experts developed an electronic survey using Qualtrics, emailed to all registrants of the 2017 Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) conference and distributed during the conference.

RESULTS: Of 60 respondents (66% men, 60% doctors), most worked in hospitals and had oncology backgrounds, and 35% were from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Most (90.9%) received palliative care training in India or overseas with 41% trained in a Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences residential course (4-6 weeks). 17% completed the IAPC essential certificate and 22% had undertaken various distance learning courses. Interest in online training was substantial for most aspects of palliative care.

CONCLUSION: There was a high level of interest and reported feasibility in taking a case-based online course. This pilot survey provides support for online case-based education in India, particularly among physicians.

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