Background: The objective of this enterprise was and is to develop a validatable educational program on palliative and hospice care with a multidisciplinary perspective for the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Methods: An interdisciplinary education committee consisting of experts in palliative and hospice care and an expert in educational design and evaluation was established to develop the program. Program development, which is ongoing, includes a comprehensive instructional design phase, vertical integration of the program into the medical school curriculum, and outcome evaluation.
Results: The instructional design phase has been accomplished; hence, the focus of this paper is on this aspect of program development. In addition, some integration of specific content areas into the medical school curriculum has been implemented.
Conclusions: When complete, the program will focus on developing skills and knowledge using a variety of interactive educational modalities, including problem-based learning, case study discussions, role playing, and practical experience at hospice and palliative care sites. Topics to be covered are symptom control, the compassionate approach to patient care, communication between physicians and patients or family members, professional collaboration on a multidisciplinary palliative care team, ethical and legal issues pertaining to end-of-life care, and the value of palliative medicine as a profession.