Handling the desire to die– evaluation of an elective course for medical students

Abstract Background The desire to die can occur in palliative care patients with a prevalence of up to 22%. Not every desire to die is accompanied by a pressure to act, but usually by a burden that can arise from various factors. To address this burden appropriately, health care workers should be trained. Based on an evaluated course on handling the desire to die, an elective course for medical students was developed and evaluated. In order to identify the impact of the elective course’s content, a comparison of attitudes towards assisted dying with two other participant groups was conducted. Therefore, three questions from the evaluation of the elective course were used. Method Online evaluation of the elective and questions addressing attitude were assessed using a five-point Likert scale. The specific outcome-based assessment was determined using the Comparative Self-Assessment Gain. The main participant group (group 1) were students who took the elective. The additional survey on attitudes towards assisted dying included undergraduate medical students who had taken compulsory palliative care courses (group 2) and physicians who had taken an introductory course in intensive care or emergency medicine (group 3). Results Group 1 (n = 13, response rate rr = 86.7%) was very satisfied with the blended learning format (100%) and the course itself (100%). They were able to deepen their knowledge (81.0%) and train skills (71.2%) through the course. In the additional surveys, there were 37 students in group 2 (rr = 66.1%) and 258 physicians in group 3 (rr = 73.6%). Willingness to assist with or accompany the various options for assisted dying varied according to the type of assistance. Among the participants, it can be summarised that the highest willingness was shown by the students of group 2 followed by the physicians of group 3 and the students of group 1. Conclusions A course on handling the desire to die of palliative patients can deepen knowledge and train communication skills and thus support self-confidence. Dealing with the background of the desire to die, knowledge about assisted dying, but also one’s own attitudes and responsibilities can influence the attitude towards assisted dying