SHBC1084

J.H.P.LEE¹, Y.LIM¹, Y.J.E.TOH², Y.Y.LIM¹, P.HO¹, L.L.C.TAN¹, J.A.LOW¹

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital¹, National University of Singapore²

Access by to nursing home (NH) staff to palliative care education is important but limited. Medical animation presents an opportunity to reach more staff despite limited resources. The study aims to study the effectiveness of a newly created palliative medical animation named “PowerFacts(PF)” in improving the knowledge and attitudes towards palliative care in NH staff.

58 staff from 7 NH participated in the study. Participants watched 3–5 minute animations and 5 question multiple choice questions (MCQs) weekly for 3 months. Participants completed 20 questions MCQs on Palliative knowledge and the Frommelt Attitudes Towards Care of the Dying (FATCOD) scale 1 week before and after the course. Demographics and change in knowledge and attitudes scores were compared.

The results showed a statistically significant improvement in knowledge pre-course and post course (mean 12.24 vs 17.38, p<0.05). There was no significant change in FATCOD scores pre and post course (mean 113.21 vs 115.74, p=0.065). Participants with previous palliative care training had better pre-course knowledge scores (mean 14.56 vs 11.36), but the knowledge scores between the 2 groups were comparable post course (mean 17.26 vs 17.69).

The study suggests that PF is effective in improving palliative knowledge but not attitudes. Importantly, PF has showed the ability to level knowledge scores between participants with and without previous palliative training, proving that it might be a game changer in improving equity to palliative training for NH staff, giving more staff the ability to get trained in palliative care despite limited resources.