The EPEC Curriculum combines didactic sessions, videotape presentations, interactive discussions, and practical exercises. It teaches fundamental palliative care skills in the areas of communication, ethical decision making, psychosocial considerations, and symptom management. The curriculum materials and the accompanying take-home messages can be easily adapted for teaching sessions targeted at interdisciplinary audiences.

The EPEC Curriculum can be used in its entirety or in part for educational purposes. Institutions and groups (including medical and professional societies, caregiver groups, and individuals) may use the curriculum materials for any audience and in any venue providing it is used for non-profit purposes and proper attribution is given. Updated curriculum materials and trigger tapes are available for purchase here.

Certified EPEC Trainers who participate in a ‘Become an EPEC Trainer’ Conference are qualified and encouraged to participate in teaching the EPEC Curriculum. The EPEC core faculty and staff are available for consultation regarding the production of conferences. Such consultation may include pre-conference planning, strategies for success, and identification and development of tools that will encourage desired outcome measures. For regional and national lists of certified EPEC Trainers, please contact EPEC at info@epec.net.

EPEC’s specialty materials, such as EPEC - Oncology and EPEC - Geriatrics, are available for presentation only with prior authorization from the developers of these materials. The use of these materials at conferences requires proper acknowledgement. Please contact EPEC for information regarding these materials. Please see our adaptations page for further details of specific adaptation.

EPEC Trainers are certified after completion of a 'Become an EPEC Trainer' Conference. These conferences are produced with direct oversight by EPEC and may be co-sponsored by another institution. Prior to the conference, trainer candidates are required to provide background information, a letter of support, and a teaching plan that they intend to use after completion of the conference. Only qualified master facilitators can teach the EPEC Curriculum and these individuals have been trained to emphasize effective adult educational strategies throughout the conference. 'Become an EPEC Trainer' conferences disseminate the core principles of palliative care and demonstrate effective teaching approaches that the trainees can then use to teach others.

EPEC continues to adapt its curriculum for specialties such as geriatrics, oncology, and emergency medicine. Conferences that use these materials are collaboratively produced by EPEC and the specific specialty. Specialty EPEC Trainer certification requires successful completion of a ‘Become an EPEC Trainer’ conference in that specialty. For example, to become an EPEC - Oncology Trainer, one must first complete the ‘Become an EPEC - Oncology Trainer’ conference. EPEC is responsible for certification of trainees.
The Professional Development Workshops provide an opportunity for EPEC Trainers and others to advance their teaching skills and become candidates for the position of master facilitator. Workshop participants learn teaching skills and strategies for the effective teaching of palliative care principles. The workshops employ adult learning theory to help participants learn and practice a variety of effective presentation and educational models, and the workshops are designed to assist in cultivating leadership and group process skills. Selected participants with particular aptitude are then invited to take the next steps toward becoming a master facilitator by co-facilitating with a certified master facilitator during a 'Become an EPEC Trainer' conference. EPEC bestows master facilitator standing on the basis of merit and availability. The EPEC Curriculum is available in a distance learning format. The online EPEC Curriculum is presented in sixteen modular topics and each module fulfills requirements for continuing education credit. Participants complete a post-test and an evaluation for each module and the CME certificate is issued as soon as the participant passes the test.
EPEC end-learners learn the EPEC Curriculum through either training sessions led by EPEC Trainers or via training on the internet. Although end-learners are encouraged to use the EPEC Curriculum, they are not certified EPEC Trainers unless they also receive trainer certification by completing the institutional ‘Become an EPEC Trainer’ conference.