Evaluation tools for interdisciplinary palliative care learning experiences: A literature review

Abstract

Background: An interdisciplinary palliative care team began exploring evaluation tools used to assess changes in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of learners participating in clinical learning experiences on an interdisciplinary palliative care consult service. This article will review existing evaluation tools, examine the themes that emerge, discuss their strengths and limitations, and make recommendations for continued development in the field. Methods and Findings: A literature search was performed using the MEDLINE database. Search terms included combinations of the following: interdisciplinary education, assessment/evaluation, and palliative care or palliative care assessment/test. Four hundred eighty-seven articles were captured during the initial search. Articles that focused on student readiness for interdisciplinary education and team self-assessments of current interdisciplinary collaboration practices were excluded. Nine articles were included in the review. Evaluation tools varied in terms of learner type, assessment type, and frequency. No tool was comprehensive in the assessment of knowledge, skills, and attitudes or truly interdisciplinary. Conclusions: There is a lack of comprehensive and interdisciplinary evaluation tools in the published literature. Further research should be conducted to develop a tool that meets the needs of learners in clinical experiences within an interdisciplinary service.