An interfaculty pain curriculum: lessons learned from six years experience.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Interprofessional Education
• Pain Management

Background:

• Pre-licensure health science curricula often lack comprehensive pain management content.
• Graduating students demonstrate deficits in essential pain knowledge.
• A mandatory Interfaculty Pain Curriculum (IPC) was developed to address this educational gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a mandatory, interfaculty pain curriculum for pre-licensure health science students.
• To assess the impact of the IPC on students' pain knowledge, beliefs, and overall learning experience.
• To iteratively refine the curriculum based on evaluation findings.

Main Methods:

• A 20-hour Interfaculty Pain Curriculum (IPC) was delivered annually since 2002 to students from six health science faculties.
• Evaluation employed Kirkpatrick's model, including the Pain Knowledge and Beliefs Questionnaire (PKPQ), Daily Content and Process Questionnaires (DCPQ), and assessment of a Comprehensive Pain Management Plan.
• Curriculum modifications were based on 6 years of extensive evaluation data.

Main Results:

• Pain Knowledge and Beliefs Questionnaire (PKPQ) scores showed a statistically significant average improvement of 14% to 17% in correct responses.
• Daily Content and Process Questionnaires (DCPQ) revealed high student ratings (85-95%) for patient panels, clinical sessions, and interprofessional groups.
• Curriculum relevancy and organization were consistently rated highly (80.3%–91.2%).

Conclusions:

• The mandatory Interfaculty Pain Curriculum (IPC) effectively improved pre-licensure health science students' pain knowledge.
• Iterative curriculum design, informed by comprehensive evaluation, enhances relevance and engagement for diverse health science learners.
• The IPC serves as a valuable model for advancing pain education in pre-licensure health science programs.