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

Jeb Helms; Laura Frankart; Melissa Bradner; Jonathan Ebersole; Beck Regan; Taylor Crouch

doi:10.1177/23821205231221950

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

J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2023 Dec 25:10:23821205231221950. doi: 10.1177/23821205231221950. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Jeb Helms¹, Laura Frankart², Melissa Bradner³, Jonathan Ebersole⁴, Beck Regan⁵, Taylor Crouch⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA.
² Department of Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
³ Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
⁴ Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, Richmond, USA.
⁵ Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.

Abstract

Chronic pain (CP) affects over 50 million Americans daily and represents a unique challenge for healthcare professionals due to its complexity. Across all health professions, only a small percentage of the curriculum is devoted to treating patients with CP. Unfortunately, much of the content is delivered passively via lecture without giving students an opportunity to practice the communication skills to effectively treat patients in the clinic. An interprofessional team of health educators identified 5 essential messages that students frequently struggle to convey to patients with CP. Those messages were based on interprofessional and profession-specific competencies to treat patients with CP from the International Association for the Study of Pain. The 5 messages highlighted the importance of (1) therapeutic alliance, (2) consistent interdisciplinary language, (3) patient prognosis, (4) evidence for pain medicine, surgery, and imaging, and (5) early referral to the interprofessional team. For each message, the team summarized relevant research supporting the importance of each individual message that could serve as a foundation for didactic content. The team then developed active learning educational activities that educators could use to have students practice the skills tied to each message. Each learning activity was designed to be delivered in an interprofessional manner.

Keywords: International Association for the Study of Pain; active learning; multidisciplinary; pain science; teaching resources.

Publication types

Review