Status of pain education in US pediatric residency programs 2008

Abstract

Prompt and comprehensive treatment of pediatric pain merits particular importance with the empirical recognition that chronic pain may adversely impact overall pediatric health and may predispose the development of chronic pain in adulthood. Despite increased professional awareness and the development of “best-practice” guidelines for pain assessment and treatment, a considerable amount of literature suggests that pediatric pain remains under-diagnosed and under-treated in the United States. This presentation provides summary results of an electronic survey of United States pediatric residency training programs querying the amount and type of instruction in pain treatment being offered. Both training directors and randomly selected senior residents were asked to provide feedback regarding training provided on different types of pain disorders and pain medications commonly encountered in pediatric populations. Additionally, survey results include the subjective “readiness to manage pain in clinical practice” for senior residents, the perceived need for additional training, and the extent to which curricula address gender, age or ethnicity issues in pediatric pain education. Prompt and comprehensive treatment of pediatric pain merits particular importance with the empirical recognition that chronic pain may adversely impact overall pediatric health and may predispose the development of chronic pain in adulthood. Despite increased professional awareness and the development of “best-practice” guidelines for pain assessment and treatment, a considerable amount of literature suggests that pediatric pain remains under-diagnosed and under-treated in the United States. This presentation provides summary results of an electronic survey of United States pediatric residency training programs querying the amount and type of instruction in pain treatment being offered. Both training directors and randomly selected senior residents were asked to provide feedback regarding training provided on different types of pain disorders and pain medications commonly encountered in pediatric populations. Additionally, survey results include the subjective “readiness to manage pain in clinical practice” for senior residents, the perceived need for additional training, and the extent to which curricula address gender, age or ethnicity issues in pediatric pain education.