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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain (PPOP)
Published on: January 27, 2010
Perioperative pain management education: a short structured regional anesthesia course compared with traditional
Marie N Hanna1, Michael B Donnelly, Christopher L Montgomery
1Department of Anesthesiology, The Johns Hopkins University, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. mhanna9@jhmi.edu
Background And Objectives:
Previous research has demonstrated that a brief course on pain management improved knowledge and attitudes toward analgesic use among medical students. The purpose of this study is to compare a structured clinical instruction course on regional anesthesia techniques for perioperative pain management with traditional teaching given to senior medical students.
Methods:
During a 1-month clerkship in anesthesiology, 40 fourth-year medical students were randomly and equally divided into 2 groups. The study group received a 2-hour structured course on regional anesthesia techniques for pain management, whereas the control group received a 1-hour lecture tutorial on regional anesthesia techniques for perioperative pain management and 1 hour of bedside teaching on acute pain management. Each student completed an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) 2 weeks after completion of the course.
Results:
The study group performed better on each of the 11 items of the OSCE and on the total performance scores (mean +/- SD of 36.2 +/- 7.3 for study group versus 14.8 +/- 8.4 for the control group; P < .05). All students rated the clinical course highly valuable (4.7 +/- 0.5).
Conclusion:
A structured clinical instructional course on regional techniques for perioperative pain management given to fourth-year medical students can significantly improve their understanding and knowledge compared with traditional teaching.
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