Topic

GPs delivering community-based palliative care

Content

caring@home offers two free education activities for GPs:

  • end-of-life planning mini audit
  • FastTrack CPD.

The end-of-life planning mini audit course guides GPs through an assessment of their management approach for three of their current or past patients, comparing the care provided against the Prompts for End-of-Life Planning (PELP) Framework and evidence-based guidelines for end-of-life care. This process requires reviewing the PELP Framework and recommended best-practice/evidence-based guidelines, answering questions, recording reflections, and discussing the reflections with peers (optional activity).

Four core medicines are commonly used to manage terminal symptoms. The two FastTrack CPD activities help GPs delivering home-based palliative care understand these drugs, their appropriate use, and legal considerations such as the doctrine of double effect. Both activities include a clinical fact sheet and a multiple-choice-question quiz. The focus of these activities is:

  • FastTrack CPD 1 - Terminal care: management of pain and respiratory secretions
  • FastTrack CPD 2 - Terminal care: management of anxiety and emesis.

Depth

Basic to advanced

Target audience

These activities are designed for GPs caring for patients with life-limiting conditions, especially those involved in palliative care, aged care, and chronic disease management.

Time to complete

End-of-life planning mini audit: approximately 3 hours

Each FastTrack CPD activity: approximately 60 minutes

Authors

caring@home and Medcast

Comments

GPs can claim CPD points:

  • End-of-life planning mini audit course: 30 minutes of EA CPD and 2.5 hours of MO CPD
  • Each FastTrack CPD activity: 30 minutes of EA CPD and 30 minutes of RP CPD

Registration required

Yes, these courses are delivered by Medcast and require setting up or accessing a free Medcast account.

Payment required

No

Student support

Yes

Certificate

GPs can either self-report their CPD to their CPD home, or allow Medcast to track their learning through a personal CPD Tracker, which can be downloaded and submitted annually.

Country of origin

Australia

Web Address

https://www.caringathomeproject.com.au/for-health-professionals/education-options-for-health-professionals/online-education-modules

Last updated 17 October 2025