223551 A Culturally Relevant Palliative Care Curriculum: Developing human resources for health in the US Affiliated Pacific Islands

Monday, November 8, 2010

Jeannette Grace Koijane, MPH , Hawaii's Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Kokua Mau, Honolulu, HI
Rae Seitz , Hawaii's Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Kokua Mau, Honolulu, HI
Karen A. Heckert, PhD, MPH, MSW , Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Pacific CEED, University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
Hali Robinett, MPH , Pacific Cancer Research Group (formerly NCI's Cancer Information Service), Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
Gregory Maskarinec, PhD , Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Mililani, HI
Significance: In the US Associated Pacific Islands (USAPI) cancer is often diagnosed late and treatment options are few where traditional practices of caring for loved ones support home-based care. Since 2008, the USAPI Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs (CCCP) have collaborated with the Pacific Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities (Pacific CEED) and NCI's Cancer Information Service (CIS) to strengthen community programs and health services for cancer survivorship and palliative care.

Methods: A series of workshops took place in Honolulu, California, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and Palau with USAPI Cancer Coordinators, Cancer Coalition members, cancer survivors, policy makers, and community members leading to the development of a regional palliative care curriculum. The curriculum's core content was piloted in April 2009 during a 2.5 day course in Honolulu and field-tested in Palau in July 2009.

Results: The culturally relevant self-instructional curriculum contains eight modules including client-provider communication and pain management. The curriculum balances didactic, experiential and problem-based learning techniques. Content is based on the pilot courses, course evaluations and cultural knowledge, professional skills and teaching expertise of Kokua Mau, Hawaii's Hospice & Palliative Care Organization and Department of Family Medicine & Community Health.

Implications: The palliative care curriculum is one of Pacific CEED's curriculum initiatives destined for USAPI community colleges which includes the Federated States of Micronesia's national breast & cervical cancer curriculum, the Palau Ministry of Health's College of Health training & licensure program and formative research in Yap on cultural beliefs and practices about death and dying.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Diversity and culture
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related education
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the current care situation for people living with chronic illness in the US Associated Pacific Islands. 2. Identify the components of the USAPI palliative care curriculum.

Keywords: Community-Based Health Care, Asian and Pacific Islander

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Executive Director for Kokua Mau and the Technical Program Officer for the Pacific Cancer Research Group, the former Cancer Information Service, Pacific Region A Program of the National Cancer Institute serving Hawaii and the U.S. Associated Pacific Islands UH Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3081.3: Cancer Prevention and Control: Cultural and International Perspectives