Abstract

New models of healthcare delivery focusing on persons with advanced illness require alignment of education and training with clinical outcomes. The centerpiece of an advanced care model is a person-centered, holistic approach that is provided by members of the inter-professional team, family caregivers, and community across settings and continuum of care. Qualities such as respect, dignity, empathy, compassion, and resilience must be cultivated within and among members of the inter-professional team to achieve the desired clinical outcomes. When successful, patient goals are aligned with appropriate technology and treatment, values, and resources.

The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (CTAC) is developing an inter-professional learning laboratory that leverages current educational curricula and resources with innovative new curricula that address gaps in education and training. The goal of the learning laboratory is to offer diverse professionals an opportunity to assess their learning needs in relation to the outcomes of the CTAC clinical model, design unique curricula, and use related resources to become proficient in the knowledge and skills needed to provide high quality care to people with advanced illness. Similarly, clinicians will need additional tools to simultaneously deliver personalized care and intentionally shift the systems of care surrounding the person with advanced illness. The learning laboratory will offer diverse, flexible methods of learning, including experiential, cognitive, technology enabled and skills based options. A unique feature of the learning laboratory is the inclusion of patients living with advanced illness and their families in the inter-professional teaching-learning process.