Palliative care integration in respiratory therapy curricula

Background Palliative care (PC) enhances quality of life for patients with serious illnesses, and respiratory therapists (RTs) are vital in supporting those patients. However, many RTs feel unprepared for engaging in PC due to limited training in their entry-to-practice education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent and quality of PC education within respiratory care (RC) programs in the United States. Methods This mixed-methods study employed an electronic survey and semi-structured interviews. The survey was sent to all RC program directors and gathered data on program demographics, the integration of PC into the curriculum, and the perceived quality and quantity of PC integration into the RC program. The interviews explored challenges and opportunities to integrate PC into the curriculum in greater detail. Results Survey responses were received from 72 RC programs (17.4% response rate), representing all degree levels of entry-to-practice RC programs. Among these, only 45.1% considered the number of hours dedicated to PC to be adequate, while 55.8% rated the quality of the content as effective. Didactic coursework was the most reported method for incorporating PC content into the curriculum (94.2%), and the most cited barrier to incorporating PC into the RC program was limited curricular time (85.9%). Five RC program directors participated in the semi-structured interviews, resulting in four themes related to integrating PC content: resources, staff and program readiness, curriculum integration, and student impact. Conclusions There is a significant gap in PC education within RC programs. Time constraints remain the primary obstacle to broader integration, though gaining subject matter expertise is also a factor. Enhancing curriculum content across all program levels is essential to ensure RTs deliver patient-centered care for individuals with serious or life-limiting illnesses.