ITALIAN CONSENSUS ON A CURRICULUM FOR VOLUNTEER TRAINING IN ONCOLOGY

Volunteers' education, together with selection and organization, are f undamental for an adequate volunteer service in oncology, which is foc used on patient and family needs and is fully integrated with the acti vity of the care team. To achieve such an aim, well-defined requiremen ts and educational objectives are essential. A curriculum for voluntar y service in oncology was developed through a consensus of experts. By comparing the work carried out by Sih. different teams, a questionnai re was drafted, which grouped 91 educational aims. For each, the quest ionnaire queried whether the aim was relevant or not, and, if yes, whe ther it should be pursued through (a) knowledge, (b) skill, and/or (c) attitude (with a possible multiple answer). To improve comprehension, the questionnaire was divided into five sections: (a) the association ; (b) the disease, therapies, and care site; (c) voluntary service in oncology; (d) psychosocial aspects of the patient and family; and (e) approach, communication, and acceptance. The questionnaire was sent to 117 delegates from 93 Italian volunteer organizations who, during a p eriod of 8 years, had attended a course for volunteer trainers held by the Italian League Against Cancer As Indicated in the letter forwarde d with the questionnaire, the final document would report only the aim s considered relevant by at least 70 % of the participants. Moreover; the area(s) of pursuit (knowledge, skill, and attitude) would be state d for each goal when indicated by at least one-half of the participant s. Of 117 individuals questioned, 83 (71%) replied. Of the 91 aims pro posed, 60 were considered relevant, and a type of approach (knowledge, skill, and/or attitude) was suggested. The formative curriculum of vo luntary service in oncology represents a consensual guideline for futu re training programs.