Palliativmedizinische Aspekte in der physiotherapeutischen Ausbildung und im Studium: Eine deutschlandweite Befragung von Ausbildungsstätten und Hochschulen

Abstract

Objective

Palliative care is becoming increasingly important, yet it is unclear to what extent it is incorporated into physiotherapy training and university education. This study systematically documents the current situation at German physiotherapy training centres and universities, analysing institutional barriers and attitudes towards future implementation.

Methodology

A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted between January and April 2024, where 278 educational institutions were contacted by mail. A standardised paper questionnaire was used to collect data on various factors, including training type, status and scope of curricular integration, teaching formats, perceived barriers, and attitudes towards future implementation. Data were evaluated descriptively; answers to open-ended questions were summarised using content analysis.

Results

A total of 120 institutions (43.2%) participated. Of these, 54.2% predominantly teach palliative care theoretically (98.5%), with practical (53.8%) and patient-related (24.6%) formats being used as well. The reasons for integration included legal and curricular requirements, career preparation, and improving the quality of care. Of those who did not integrate palliative care into their curriculum, 45.8% cited inconsistent nationwide legal requirements (with some federal states having no regulations), and 52.7% mentioned a lack of qualified teaching staff. Just under a third cited a lack of time in the curriculum and a lack of cooperation partners for patient-centred teaching as a reason. A total of 92.6% endorse future integration.

Conclusion

Currently, palliative care content is included in the curriculums at only about half of the German physiotherapy training centres and universities, and implementation, scope and timing vary greatly. There is a broad consensus on the need for future integration, indicating the necessity of nation wide uniform curricula and qualified teaching staff in order to develop palliative care skills already during the training phase and remedy structural deficits.