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Abstract

Introduction: There is an ongoing evolution in the understanding of pain biology and its underlying mechanisms. Healthcare professionals’ education and preparation must adapt to continue to provide effective management for individuals experiencing pain. A review of current studies in pain education and preparation across healthcare professions was performed. This scoping review provided theories and will be part of a larger study assessing pain preparation in physical therapy.

Methods: A scoping review of articles discussing pain education and preparation of healthcare professions, including dentistry (2), medicine (8), nursing (7), occupational safety and health (1), occupational and physical therapy (2), and physician assistants (3), was performed within PubMed and the College of St. Scholastica Library’s EBSCO Discovery Service (SOLAR). Twenty-three articles were analyzed, and study conclusions were categorized.

Results: Three emerging themes that affect the pain preparation of healthcare professionals were identified, including (1) the level of academic preparation, (2) educational hours spent, including additional postgraduate training and certification, and (3) clinical experience.

Discussion: This review suggested that common underlying themes affected the preparation and education of healthcare professionals toward effective management of individuals experiencing pain. Despite the heterogeneity of conclusions in the included studies, three emerging themes were observed: level of academic preparation, pain education, and clinical experience. These themes will be utilized as benchmarks in a larger mixed methods study assessing pain education and preparation of physical therapists working with individuals experiencing pain.

Keywords: Pain Education, Academic Preparation, Educational Hours, Clinical Experience, Healthcare Professionals, Scoping Review

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