Palliative Care

Project Partners

Physician Learning Program (PLP)

Office of Lifelong Learning (L3)

Division of Palliative Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta

Background

Despite progress in access to palliative care across Canada, national reports continue to highlight inconsistencies in service quality and delivery. A shortage of specialized providers and varying levels of physician training and confidence contribute to these gaps. As the demand for high-quality, patient-centered palliative care grows, more physicians are actively seeking continuing education opportunities to build their competence and enhance care delivery for patients in need of end-of-life support.

Aims/Objectives

Enhance physicians’ comfort and competence in delivering palliative care

Provide practical, community-based strategies for managing palliative patients

Increase awareness of available palliative care resources and referral pathways in Alberta

Support reflective practice and implementation of knowledge through accessible education tools

Deliver asynchronous learning options via recorded sessions and curated resources

Findings/Summary

To support primary care physicians in delivering consistent, quality palliative care, PLP and partners developed a three-part educational webinar series. Held in September and October 2024, the sessions featured expert speakers covering clinical strategies, Alberta-based resources, and emergency management in palliative care. In total, 301 people registered across the three sessions, with high physician attendance both live and asynchronously. Participants accessed follow-up resources via the “Pearls for Practice” bundle on the PLP website. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive—100% of participants reported the sessions were relevant, met their learning needs, prompted reflection, and increased their confidence in implementing changes in practice. The sessions particularly emphasized practical guidance for community-based care and appropriate referral processes.

Conclusions/Outcomes/Impact/Implications

The initiative successfully addressed gaps in palliative care education for community physicians. It provided accessible, evidence-based learning and supported clinical practice improvements through high-quality resources. The strong engagement and uniformly positive feedback suggest that this model could be scaled or adapted to further strengthen primary care involvement in palliative service delivery across Alberta and beyond.