Table 1.

Thematic content and didactic methods of the elearning course Basic Topics in Palliative Care

Module	Contents	Teaching units (TU)	Didactic methods
Introduction	Fundamentals of palliative care Communication and psychosocial aspects	2 TU	Virtual Standardised Patients (VSPs) electures; graphics, Youtube videos Self-reflection exercises
Module 1: Symptom management: pain, dyspnea	WHO-staging system, opioid rotation, therapy of dyspnea	1 TU	Virtual Standardised Patients (VSPs) electures
Module 2: Breaking bad news in palliative care	Communication in palliative care (e.g. SPIKES model)	1 TU	Learning from models
Module 3: Nutrition and thirst at the end-of-life	Eating, drinking and oral care	1 TU	Interprofessional teaching
Module 4: Gastroenterological symptom management	Nausea, vomiting, constipation, obstruction, diarrhoea	1 TU	Problem-based learning with case vignettes
Module 5: Psychiatric symptom management	Anxiety, delirium	1 TU	Virtual Standardised Patients (VSPs) electures; Interactive case management
Module 6: Interprofessional Team	Members of the palliative care team	1 TU	Virtual Standardised Patients (VSPs) Interprofessional Teaching
Module 7: Clinical ethics	Advance care planning, aspects of euthanasia	1 TU	Interactive case management
Module 8: Symptom management: final phase	Dying phases, Liverpool Care Pathway	1 TU	Virtual Standardised Patients (VSPs) electures
		Total 10 TU

1 TU = 45 min