Mindfulness and compassion training on daily work with patients and within the multiprofessional palliative care team: a retrospective self-assessment study.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, satisfaction, impact, and limitations of an eight-week mindfulness and compassion course for a multi-professional palliative care team.
Results Summary
The course was well-received, with 91% of participants expressing moderate to high satisfaction and willingness to recommend it. Learning gains were highest in knowledge and techniques (38.5-49.4%), moderate in skill implementation (26.2-34.5%), and lowest in attitude changes (12.7-24.6%).
Population
Multi-professional palliative care team employees.
Effective Dosage
Not specified (preparatory evening sessions and daily meditation exercises).
Duration
Eight weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
eight-week mindfulness and compassion course | no change | familiarize a multi-professional palliative care team with self-care techniques | participants of a mindfulness and compassion course | - | was considered as a feasible and welcome tool | #1 |
eight-week mindfulness and compassion course | no change | 4 or more of the 7 voluntary mindfulness days | 58% of participants | 58% | attended | #2 |
eight-week mindfulness and compassion course | increase | satisfaction | 91% of participants | 91% | expressed moderate to high satisfaction | #3 |
eight-week mindfulness and compassion course | no change | the palliative care program to others | 91% of participants | 91% | would recommend | #4 |
eight-week mindfulness and compassion course | increase | learning gains in terms of knowledge and techniques | participants | 38.5-49.4% | were high | #5 |
eight-week mindfulness and compassion course | no change | learning gains in terms of implementation of learned skills | participants | 26.2-34.5% | were moderate | #6 |
eight-week mindfulness and compassion course | no change | learning gains in terms of changes to attitude | participants | 12.7-24.6% | were rather low | #7 |
BACKGROUND: Palliative care teams work under challenging conditions in a sensitive setting with difficult tasks. The multi-professional team can play an important role. Mindfulness and compassion-based practices are used to build resilience. Our aim was to examine (1) feasibility and acceptability, (2) satisfaction and impact, and (3) opportunities and limitations of a mindfulness course. METHODS: An eight-week mindfulness and compassion course was delivered in a university-based specialized palliative care unit. A meditation teacher provided preparatory evening sessions and meditation exercises that could be integrated into daily activities. The scientific analysis of the course was based on a questionnaire developed for quality assessmentThe first two parts consisted of demographic, Likert-type, and free-text items. Part 3 consisted of learning objectives that were self-assessed after finishing the course (post-then). In the analysis, we used descriptive statistics, qualitative content analysis, and comparative self-assessment. RESULTS: Twenty four employees participated. 58% of participants attended 4 or more of the 7 voluntary mindfulness days. 91% expressed moderate to high satisfaction and would recommend the palliative care program to others. Three main categories emerged in the qualitative content analysis: providing feedback on the course, personal impact, and impact on professional life. The opportunity for self-care in a professional context was highlighted. Learning gains (CSA Gain) were high (38.5-49.4%) in terms of knowledge and techniques, moderate (26.2-34.5%) in terms of implementation of learned skills, and rather low (12.7-24.6%) in terms of changes to attitude. CONCLUSION: Our evaluation shows that the participants of a mindfulness and compassion course considered it as a feasible and welcome tool to familiarize a multi-professional palliative care team with self-care techniques. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Internal Clinical Trial Register of the Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, No. 2018074763 (registered retrospectively on 30