Evaluation of Required End-Of-Life (EOL) Ethics Content in the Ten Residency Programs Offering Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship

BackgroundEthics training is essential to hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) training. Ten residencies can lead into HPM fellowship, but clinical ethics tested on board certification exams vary in content and weight across specialties.ObjectiveWe reviewed EOL ethics content tested by board certification exams from residencies that lead into HPM fellowship across specialties.MethodsWe analyzed relative frequencies of EOL ethics categories across and within specialties from the respective board certification exam content outlines.ResultsThe relative frequencies of categories within specialties were 28.1% Surgery; 15.6% Emergency Medicine; 12.5% Anesthesiology; 12.5% Internal Medicine; 9.4% Psychiatry and Neurology; 6.3% Family Medicine; 6.3% Obstetrics and Gynecology; 6.3% Pediatrics; 3.1% PMR; and 0% Radiology.ConclusionOur findings indicate that end-of-life ethics content tested on these board certification exams vary across specialties. Given this variance, standardizing end-of-life ethics training for HPM fellowship programs presents an opportunity for educational improvement.