Situation Analysis and Designing an Interprofessional Curriculum for Palliative Care of the Cancer Patients

Comprehensive palliative care of cancer patients could be achieved by developing interprofessional collaboration through which professionals from a variety of professions come together to meet the clients’ complexity of health care needs. Health professionals are supposed to get ready to perform such an important responsibility. Therefore an interprofessional curriculum for palliative care of cancer patients was designed in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. This study employed a mixed method design based on the curriculum development steps. The study population consisted of health professionals (including professionals from medicine, nursing, psychology, nutritionist, social working and rehabilitation) from health centers affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Islamic studies experts who collaborate with the health system and cancer patients. Data were collected through review of literature (electronic and library resources) and conducting interview with participants, and were analyzed through conventional qualitative content analysis and were revised and completed through expert panels. In the first step, 50 articles and reports and 6 related books were selected and reviewed as preliminary sources of data. Moreover 17 participants were interviewed. In order to revise and complete the qualitative data, in the second step, 8 panels were assembled with participation of 30 specialists. Finally, 10 learning subtopics were identified within two general topics of interprofessional education/collaboration and palliative care; related methods of teaching and evaluation were also delineated. Various aspects of health professionals’ training needs in palliative care for cancer patients are covered in the proposed curriculum. Moreover a specific attention has been paid to interprofessional aspects of the palliative care. Therefore it could be considered as a guide for preparing health professionals in order to offer appropriate palliative care for cancer patients in the form of interprofessional teams.