A state-of-the-art learning environment in palliative care is proving useful for rural heatlh professionals

Purpose: The following paper illustrates an education resource that was developed following a needs assessment to fill a gap in resources in the area of pastoral care, counselling and support for rural health professionals. Interviews with eight health professionals working in community palliative care preceded the authoring, designing and development of the learning environment produced on DVD. In rural areas, access to services is often difficult and knowledge of the range of needs of palliative care clients and their families, mostly the primary caregivers may be overlooked, along with the knowledge of ways to meet these needs.
Method: Following a needs assessment, a multimedia learning resource was developed on pastoral care, counselling and support for rural health professionals. The education resource consisting of a comprehensive learning environment is produced on DVD with a multidisciplinary focus. The health professionals who participated in the needs assessment were experts with knowledge of the rural palliative care context. The interviews were subsequently transcribed and analysed to determine the content for the learning environment. The authoring and the design of the learning environment were undertaken by the authors of this manuscript.
Outcomes : The product discussed herein was subjected to an iterative process, prior to the final production of the DVD. Since its release in 2009, we have received requests for the DVD resource from numerous hospitals and health services offering palliative care including the Royal Flying Doctor Service, universities, TAFE and private colleges offering education in palliative care in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Northern Territory. Some of these organisations have integrated the DVD resource in their undergraduate education while others have integrated the resource in their professional development programs in palliative care.