Moving from Strategy to Process: An Iterative and Formative Approach to Integrating the IASP Pain Curriculum...

Studies suggest that pain education in physical therapy (PT) programs is often insufficient to adequately prepare graduates to understand and manage pain. The International Association for the Study of Pain recently published updated curriculum guidelines for PT pain education (PCGs), and adoption of these PCGs will improve standardization of pain education in PT curricula. However, implementation of the PCGs will require programs to overcome key barriers including: 1) faculty competence with current pain science, 2) faculty alignment and collective commitment to addressing all domains in the PCGs, and 3) time and space in the curriculum for additional content delivery. The purpose of this article is to describe the process-driven approach used in implementing the PCGs within an established PT program, emphasizing the strategies used to overcome existing barriers. Kern's Six-Step Approach to Curriculum Development, experiential learning theory, and reflective practice were the guiding theoretical models used to develop processes and overcome existing barriers. The iterative process used for curriculum integration of the PCGs improved faculty buy-in and alignment, allowed for optimal selection of resources to support the faculty, and provided the program with qualitative and quantitative data that will continue to drive curriculum management.