Assessment of blended learning palliative care educational programme in cancer treatment centres in India

Objectives: The study evaluates the fifth cohort of the palliative care cancer treatment centres (CTC) educational programme in India with the aim of refining the course on the basis of participant feedback thereby improving palliative care services at cancer centres. Methods: The intervention included participation in the CTC 5 teaching and training programme, which encompassed foundation course, refresher course, access to palliative care training modules, clinical training and mentorship under palliative care experts. The feedback was taken from all 57 participants (29 doctors and 28 nurses) of CTC 5 programme representing 14 hospitals across nine regions in India. The assessment tools included Likert scale ratings and free-text comments. 3-point and 5-point Likert scale ratings were used to gauge the usefulness of course topics, quality of content and delivery. A mixed methods approach was used for a comprehensive evaluation by taking both quantitative measures of participant inputs and qualitative insights into their experiences and suggestions. The knowledge gained by the participants was analysed using pre-training and post-training assessments. Results: The feedback obtained from the participants highlighted both strengths and scope for improvement. The foundation course received positive feedback for its sessions, especially on communication skills and pain management. The refresher course received positive feedback for team presentations but lacked sufficient case discussions. The interactive nature of sessions was well-received. Following the CTC 5 programme, participants showed a 30.38% knowledge gain. Overall, the programme exceeded expectations for 62% of participants, highlighting its impact on personal development and clinical practices in palliative care. Conclusion: The study provides useful insights for designing future palliative care educational courses to address the needs of health professionals. The CTC programme has promising potential to bring about positive changes in both the personal and professional development of participants ultimately improving palliative care services across India.