17 Shaping the future of palliative care in intensive care: insights from past and current ICU trainees

<h3>Introduction</h3> Palliative care, often misunderstood as end-of-life care, is more accurately defined as an approach aimed at improving quality of life for patients and their families facing life-threatening illnesses. This applies to a significant proportion of ICU patients making it crucial for ICU clinicians to be knowledgeable about palliative care, a core competency in the Intensive Care Medicine (ICM) curriculum. The delivery of palliative care education varies; with a growing recognition among ICM trainees of a need for more training. To evaluate changes in palliative care education, we repeated a 2018 survey in 2024 to assess progress and guide future improvements. In the time frame between surveys, regional teaching days had been implemented. <h3>Objectives</h3> To assess the prevalence of palliative care in ICUs across Wessex, evaluate the training ICM trainees received and gauge interest in further education in 2024 compared to 2018. <h3>Methods</h3> A survey conducted with ICM trainees in Wessex in 2018 was repeated in 2024. 9 questions asked about trainees’ exposure to palliative care, the training they received and their preferences for additional education. <h3>Results</h3> Response rates were 72% and 67% respectively. The 2024 survey results showed that trainees’ exposure to palliative care patients in the ICU remained consistent with a slight increase in use of individualised end of life care plans. Although training had increased, a gap persisted between education provided and desires of trainees. This was reflected in the growing interest in formal secondments or fellowships in palliative care (Fig1). <h3>Conclusion</h3> There is an increasing recognition that palliative care is integral to ICU practice and current ICU trainees have a rising demand for more formal training in this area. Using this data, we are developing ways to meet this demand and improve care delivered to patients and their families on the ICU.