Factors associated with the level of knowledge about palliative care among medical students at a University in lima, Peru

Factores asociados al nivel de conocimiento sobre cuidados paliativos en estudiantes de medicina de una Universidad en Lima, Perú

Abstract

Introduction: In Peru, medical schools do not have any formal course on palliative care. Objective: To determine the factors associated with the level of knowledge about palliative care in medical students of the sixth and seventh year of Ricardo Palma University, during the second half of 2020. Methodology: Observational, cross-sectional and analytical study. The sample consisted of 139 sixth and seventh year students, who were surveyed with the Palliative Care Knowledge Test (PCKT) modified by Ordoñez et al¹ for medical students in Peru. Sampling was probabilistic, stratified. Results: 48.9% were sixth year students and 51.1% were seventh year students. 87.8% reported not having taken an elective/rotation course in Palliative Care. The prevailing level of knowledge was "regular" (61.9%) followed by "bad" (23.7%). In addition, the variables sex (p = 0.020), age (p = 0.017) and year of study (p = 0.031) had statistically significant associations with the level of knowledge, the variable elective course / previous rotation on Palliative Care did not show a significant association. According to the opinion / perception of medical students about the need for education and training in Palliative Care, undergraduate: about half of the population considers this inclusion as “very necessary”, followed by “necessary”. Conclusion: The Level of Knowledge about Palliative Care that predominates in sixth and seventh year students is the “regular” level followed by “bad”. The variables sex, age and year of study showed a significant association.