Case study:

21 August 2010

Evaluation toolkit: assessing outcomes of end of life care learning events

Key points

The University of Nottingham together with a local specialist palliative care unit have produced an evaluation toolkit to help stakeholders assess the success of end of life care learning events.

The assessment tools, which also had input from the Sue Ryder Centre for End of Life Care Studies, are designed to be used before and after learning events in the East Midlands region. They are underpinned by the end of life care core competences.

Development of the toolkit, which is funded through end of life care monies from East Midlands SHA, is still at an early stage and further tools will be added over the coming months as feedback is received from those who have used the toolkit.

The toolkit has been distributed across the East Midlands via the SHA and workforce leads. It is available on the East Midlands Cancer Network website for easy access by facilitators at: www.mylearningspace.me.uk (create a free account to access the materials on the site).

The ongoing evaluation will help to develop robust evaluation tools that are inbuilt into end of life care learning events after March 2011. It will also help commissioners assess the most cost-effective education to meet the needs of their workforce.