The Current State of Physical Therapy Pain Curricula in the United States: A Faculty Survey

Insufficient pain education is problematic across the health care spectrum. Recent educational advancements have been made to combat the deficits in pain education to ensure that health care professionals are proficient in assessing and managing pain. The purpose of this survey was to determine the extent of pain education in current Doctorate of Physical Therapy schools in the United States, including how pain is incorporated into the curriculum, the amount of time spent teaching about pain, and the resources used to teach about pain. The survey consisted of 10 questions in the following subject areas: basic science mechanisms and concepts about pain, pain assessment, pain management, and adequacy of pain curriculum. The overall response was 77% (167/216) for the first series of responses of the survey (Question 1), whereas 62% completed the entire survey (Questions 2–10). The average contact hours teaching about pain was 31 ± 1.8 (mean ± standard error of the mean) with a range of 5 to 115 hours. The majority of schools that responded covered the science of pain, assessment, and management. Less than 50% of respondents were aware of the Institute of Medicine report on pain or the International Association for the Study of Pain guidelines for physical therapy pain education. Only 61% of respondents believed that their students received adequate education in pain management. Thus, this survey demonstrated how pain education is incorporated into physical therapy schools and highlighted areas for improvement such as awareness of recent educational advancements. Perspective This article demonstrates how pain education is incorporated into physical therapy curricula within accredited programs. Understanding the current structure of pain education in health professional curriculum can serve as a basis to determine if recent publications of guidelines and competencies impact education

Innovative Pain Management of the Post-operative Patient

Medical/surgical patients post-operatively report significant pain and are not always satisfied with their pain management. Nurses on medical/surgical units frequently find themselves in a cycle of chasing after their patients\u27 pain. Medical/surgical units historically rely heavily on pharmacological interventions to manage post-operative pain with little focus on non-pharmacological interventions. With the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as an additional tool for care for medical/surgical nurses, they will be empowered to be proactive rather than reactive in post-operative pain management. This project develops an innovative post-operative pain management educational program that integrates Western medicine and CAM into the care of post-operative patients to enhance patients\u27 comfort and promote healing. Innovative post-operative pain management incorporates Kolcaba\u27s Comfort Theory as the framework of the educational program for medical/surgical nurses. In addition Kolcaba\u27s key concepts of healing comfort, relief, ease, and transcendence will transform medical/surgical nurses\u27 efforts of pain control to creating an environment of holist comfort

Evaluating Literacy Sensitive Client Education Materials for the SMMART Clinic

This master’s project was completed in collaboration with the St. Mary’s Medical and Rehabilitative Therapies (SMMART) Clinic, located on the campus of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Through the completion of literature reviews, a needs assessment, and project activities, nine graduate occupational therapy students analyzed the needs of this clinic and aimed to improve client care. The SMMART clinic serves primarily Spanish-speaking clients who are low-income, uninsured, or underinsured. This population often faces obstacles in accessing primary health care and rehabilitation, including language and literacy-related barriers. Occupational therapy can play an important role in addressing these barriers and providing high quality care and education that is sensitive to clients’ literacy and language preferences

Is pain ever acceptable? : A qualitative exploration concerning adult perceptions of chronic pain

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not- for-profit sectors. Patrice Forget received speaker/advi-sory board fees from Grunenthal, Oncomfort and GE Healthcare.Peer reviewe

Assisting Occupational Therapists in North Dakota: An Agricultural Resource Guide

Within the state of North Dakota, agriculture and farming are of the most essential and influential factors within the state\u27s economy (Rathge et. al 2012). Rural communities are among the medically under-served areas within the United States; establishing the dire need of healthcare services (Hagglund et al., 1998; Schweitzer et al., 2011). A study conducted by Meyer and Fetsch (2006) deduced the four prominent disabilities affecting farmer\u27s engagement in occupations as arthritis, spinal cord injury, amputation, and back injuries. Farmers, and their family members, are also at higher risk for work related stressors which may result in severely disabling conditions; which overall establishes an even greater need to provide services to this population (Schweitzer et al., 2011). In addition, Willkomm (2001) reviewed the difficulties farmers with disabilities encounter and the increased risks for secondary injury. A literature review was conducted to identify areas of need for farmers; the performance skills and client factors potentially impacted by injury, and best practice assessments and interventions. Based on the results of the literature, a concise manual entitled An Agricultural Resource Guide for Occupational Therapists was developed. This resource guide is designed for occupational therapists to utilize when working with this population. It contains a review of assessments and intervention strategies to utilize with farmers within his or her context based on the Ecological Model and encompassing the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework. An Ecological Model perspective is utilized to consider the farmer and tasks within the natural work and home environment. Components from the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework were utilized throughout the manual to provide organization of multiple client factors and performance skills required by farmers to complete tasks. North Dakota is a state dominated by agriculture; as such, it is essential to understand the population’s physical, mental, social, cultural, and temporal constraints. The is purpose of this project was to ensure that the needs of the farmer and family are being met and allow the farmer to remain active within the profession for as long as he/she so chooses

Lived Experience of Adolescents with Chronic Pain: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experience of adolescents who live with chronic pain. All 10 participants were between the ages of 13 and 17 and have lived with chronic pain for at least 6 months. Data sources for the study were two interviews for each participant, participant drawn depictions of their chronic pain, and researcher journaling. The person-environment-occupation model was used to frame the research design. The study found four main themes among the data: pain identity, invisible disease, occupational loss, and uphill climb to regain life. Each theme described the essence of the common experience of adolescents living with chronic pain. Occupational therapists can benefit from incorporating this knowledge base into their practice when providing intervention for individuals living with chronic pain to improve their overall quality of life and occupational performance