Developing and testing a web-based survey to assess educational needs of palliative and end-of-life health care professionals in connecticut

Institute of Medicine reports have identified gaps in health care professionals' knowledge of palliative and end-of-life care, recommending improved education. Our purpose was to develop and administer a Web-based survey to identify the educational needs of multidisciplinary health care professionals who provide this care in Connecticut to inform educational initiatives. We developed an 80-item survey and recruited participants through the Internet and in person. Descriptive and correlational statistics were calculated on 602 surveys. Disciplines reported greater agreement on items related to their routine tasks. Reported needs included dealing with cultural and spiritual matters and having supportive resources at work. Focus groups confirmed results that are consistent with National Consensus Project guidelines for quality palliative care and indicate the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium modules for education.