Comparison of Palliative Knowledge and Self-Efficacy Expectation of German Paramedics Between a Rural and an Urban Structured Emergency Medical Service Area.

Differences in the German emergency medical service (EMS) can be seen in the countryside in contrast to the city with regard to travel distances to hospitals and in the access routes of EMS-physicians. In order to investigate the success of establishment of palliative crisis cards associated with training and the rural and urban EMS structures, two urban and two rural EMS areas were compared using the Paramedic Palliative Care Test (PARPACT). The PARPACT includes test items on palliative knowledge (PK, maximum score: 15 points) and palliative self-efficacy expectations (PSE, maximum score: 18 points), as well as items on palliative attitudes in dealing with palliative care patients.

[PARPACT: Paramedic Palliative Care Test : Validation of a questionnaire to assess palliative care knowledge and self-efficacy expectations of paramedics].

Background: Given the large number of palliative patients cared for by the emergency services, education and training in palliative care topics are playing an increasingly important role. To support decision-making in an emergency setting a palliative or emergency card has been introduced in many cities.

Objectives: To assess the success of educational interventions and the effect of the palliative or emergency card, a questionnaire was developed and validated to determine palliative knowledge and palliative self-efficacy expectations in the emergency services.