Interprofessional Active Learning for Chronic Pain: Transforming Student Learning From Recall to Application

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pain Management
• Interprofessional Healthcare

Background:

• Chronic pain (CP) affects millions, yet healthcare curricula inadequately prepare professionals for its complex management.
• Current educational methods often lack active learning, hindering the development of essential patient communication skills for CP care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and address critical communication gaps in CP education for health professions students.
• To develop evidence-based, active learning modules for interprofessional training in CP management.

Main Methods:

• An interprofessional team identified 5 essential messages for communicating with CP patients, based on International Association for the Study of Pain competencies.
• Developed active learning activities for each message, designed for interprofessional delivery and skill practice.

Main Results:

• Key messages focus on therapeutic alliance, consistent interdisciplinary language, patient prognosis, evidence for treatments, and early team referral.
• Active learning modules provide practical skill-building opportunities for students in an interprofessional setting.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need for improved, active interprofessional education in chronic pain management.
• The developed modules offer a scalable solution to enhance healthcare professionals' ability to effectively communicate with and treat CP patients.