Future Doctors Unprepared to Manage Pain - One of the Most Common Problems They Will Encounter in Clinical Practice, Expert Group Warns

Florence, Italy (ots/PRNewswire) -

First ever Europe-wide study reveals that even when undergraduate
medical students take a compulsory course on pain, they still only
receive on average 12 hours'

training

There is an alarming lack of dedicated teaching on pain in
undergraduate medical schools in Europe, according to the APPEAL
(Advancing the Provision of Pain Education And Learning) study,[1]
the first Europe-wide study on pain education provision. Even when
compulsory courses on pain are in place, they represent on average
only 12 hours within an entire six-year degree programme - or just
0.2 per cent of the teaching medical students receive during their
undergraduate studies. [1] The APPEAL study was presented today at
the annual congress of the European Pain Federation, EFIC(R) in
Florence.

Currently under-diagnosed and under-treated, chronic pain carries
a very high burden for individuals, health systems and economies,[2]
accounting for between 3 and 10 per cent of a country's Gross
Domestic Product (GDP).[3],[4] The findings of the APPEAL study
suggest that the inadequacies in pain teaching leave future doctors
unprepared to treat and manage pain.

"A lack of knowledge about pain among physicians has long been
recognised as a key barrier to effective pain treatment and
management," said Professor Hans G. Kress, President of EFIC(R).
"This study shows us that at best, we are educating our medical
students for only 0.2 per cent of their studies on how to deal with
one of the most frequent problems they will encounter in medical
practice."

Pain teaching not a priority

The APPEAL study, guided by a multi-disciplinary Taskforce of
experts under the leadership of EFIC(R), and funded by Mundipharma
International Limited, highlights that pain teaching is not a
priority in undergraduate medical curricula. The study involved 242
undergraduate medical schools in 15 European countries and found that
82 per cent of these schools have no dedicated courses on pain that
are compulsory for all students.[1]

"With the exception of France and a handful of schools in other
countries, which have made headway in the provision of pain teaching,
there is a striking lack of dedicated teaching on pain across
Europe," said Dr Emma Briggs, Lecturer, King's College London, and
Chair, British Pain Society Pain Education Special Interest Group.
"This raises the question as to whether the provision of pain
education in undergraduate medical studies is fit for purpose to
address the current and growing unmet public health need."

Pain teaching inconsistent

The APPEAL study found that almost two-thirds of all undergraduate
medical schools (62 per cent) offer pain teaching only within other
subjects - and that these subjects vary across schools.[1] In
addition, 27 per cent of medical schools that offer compulsory
courses on pain, do not even document pain topics on the
curriculum,[1] making it difficult to assess where and how pain
teaching is included in other subjects.

Teaching methods also vary across schools. Although the majority
of schools (95 per cent) use classroom-based teaching, other teaching
methods vary - only 48 per cent of schools use practical-based
teaching and even fewer (26 per cent) use placement-based
teaching.[1]

Based on the findings of the study, the APPEAL expert Taskforce
calls on medical schools, pain specialists, medical students and
relevant policymakers to ensure that pain education for undergraduate
medical students across Europe is fit for purpose to address the
current unmet public health need to adequately manage and treat pain.
More specifically, the expert Taskforce recommends:

1) The establishment of a European framework for pain education, developed
jointly by pain specialists and educators and drawing on the EFIC(R) Core Curriculum
in Pain Management, to ensure consistency in pain teaching within the undergraduate
medical curriculum and between medical schools in Europe
2) The introduction of compulsory pain teaching for all undergraduate medical
students in Europe, to enable them to acquire a defined minimum level of competency in
pain and up-to-date pain management
3) Improved documentation of pain teaching within the undergraduate medical
curriculum, with clearly stated teaching content and defined student competencies in
pain.

About the APPEAL study

The APPEAL study is the first ever Europe-wide review of pain
education for undergraduates in Europe. Conducted by independent
research company Adelphi Research in 15 European countries, the
APPEAL study involved the review of publicly available curricula from
242 undergraduate medical schools. The APPEAL study goes beyond
existing research by providing a more comprehensive analysis and
understanding of pain learning. The research was conducted from April
to September 2013 and is part of a Europe-wide initiative aimed at
raising the profile and importance of pain education.

About Mundipharma

The Mundipharma network of independent associated companies
consists of privately owned companies and joint ventures covering the
world's pharmaceutical markets. These companies are committed to
bringing to patients the benefits of pioneering treatment options in
the core therapy areas of oncology, pain, respiratory and rheumatoid
arthritis. For further information please visit:

http://www.mundipharma.com.

References

1. A Blueprint for Pain Education - the APPEAL (Advancing the
Provision of Pain Education and Learning) study, 2013, Mundipharma
data on file

2. Breivik H, et al. Survey of chronic pain in Europe: Prevalence,
impact on daily life, and treatment. Eur J Pain 2006;10:287-333

3. Raftery MN, et al. The economic cost of chronic noncancer pain
in Ireland: Results from the PRIME study, part 2. J Pain
2012;13:139-145

4. Gustavsson A, et al. Socio-economic burden of patients with a
diagnosis related to chronic pain - Register data of 840,000 Swedish
patients. Eur J Pain 2012;16:289-299

MINT/PPR-13046c Date of Preparation: October 2013

For further information please contact:
Bily Kuo
Communications Manager, Mundipharma International Limited
Bily.Kuo@mundipharma.co.uk
M: +44(0)7760-619-251

Caroline Maddock
cmaddock@webershandwick.com
T: +44(0)2070-670-226

ots Originaltext: Mundipharma International
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de