Advancing the Role of Higher Education Institutions to Support Palliative Care Education in Primary Care and Humanitarian Settings within Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Online Workshop Report.

The need for palliative care is increasing, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Higher education institutions (HEIs) have a role to play in developing a skilled palliative care workforce in LMICs. A workshop was held to discuss this issue, and it was attended by experts from around the world. The workshop highlighted the challenges and opportunities for palliative care education in HEIs for LMIC settings. The participants discussed the importance of a collaborative interprofessional approach and advocacy for the inclusion of palliative care into a wide range of curricula. They also expressed the hope to explore possibilities of networks to continue this discussion and incorporate the wider perspectives from primary care and humanitarian practitioners.

Effects of an internationalization at home (IAH) programme on cultural awareness among medical and nursing students in Hong Kong and Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the learning experience of students by limiting their opportunities for face-to-face intercultural exchanges. Given the importance of cultural competence in medical education, there is a need to develop a programme that promotes cultural awareness, but that offers more flexibility in terms of outbound mobility. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an internationalization at home programme and to explore the learning experiences of medical and nursing students from Hong Kong and Indonesia. METHODS: Students were recruited from two universities in Hong Kong and Indonesia. They attended an online internationalization at home programme designed by members of the research team from both countries. A mixed-methods study was conducted using a concurrent triangulation approach. A pre-test post-test design was used to evaluate the effects of the programme on cultural awareness, and four focus groups were conducted to explore the students' experiences in the programme. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed by T-test and reflexive thematic analysis, respectively. Data were integrated and triangulated using joint displays by comparing findings from both sources. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-eight students from Hong Kong and Indonesia participated in the study. After the programme, there was a significant improvement in cultural awareness. Three themes were identified: (1) learning process: enjoyable, but a desire remains for face-to-face cross-cultural communication; (2) learning outcomes: gained cultural awareness, developed cultural sensitivity, had an opportunity to practice language and learn about new learning styles; (3) factors influencing learning outcomes: facilitators (micro-movie and active communication) and barriers (language barrier, inappropriate time arrangement, insufficient prior briefing). CONCLUSION: This programme achieved the learning outcomes by successfully enhancing the cultural awareness of students during a time of pandemic when outbound student exchanges were not possible. Further adaptations of the programme are required to enhance different learning outcomes.