Background: Research suggests that educating undergraduate medical students in the practice of palliative care can be problematical. For example, it is suggested that the emotional labour involved in palliative care can compromise the attainment of educational goals. Therefore, assessing the effect of education programmes is important in establishing that tomorrow’s doctors are practically and emotionally prepared to care for patients with palliative care needs.
Method: Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory identifies Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancies and key conceptual determinants of learning; determinants through which it is possible to assess and examine the educational process. Using this theoretical driver, a scale to assess Self-Efficacy in Palliative Care practice (SEPC) was constructed. In conjunction with the Thanatophobia Scale, a measure of Outcome Expectancies, the psychometric properties and suitability (content validity) of each scale in assessing undergraduate palliative care education were examined.
Results: (1). Content validity was assessed by five palliative care physicians involved in undergraduate education. After some minor changes, the scales were completed by 4th year medical undergraduates from Liverpool University (n=139) prior to, and post completion of a two week pilot education programme in palliative care. Results (2). Cronbach’s alphas (0.84-0.85) and (0.92-0.95) were recorded on the SEPC and Thanatophobia Scale respectively. Varimax rotated principal components analysis of the SEPC supported the theoretical composition of the scale, with high factor loadings recorded on each item (0.45-0.89). Principal components analysis of the Thanatophobia scale also supported the theoretical composition of the scale, with high factor loadings recorded on each item (0.60-0.81).
Discussion: Social Cognitive Theory provides an instructive model through which it is possible to interpret and assess learning. The robust psychometric properties of the SEPC and Thanatophobia scale suggest they are valid and reliable tools for assessing medical undergraduate palliative care education.