Pain Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs of Allied Health Learners Across Three Curricular Models

Abstract

Purpose

The global burden of pain is considerable; therefore, all health professionals require comprehensive pain education. Pain education is essential and should be embedded in health professional curricula. This paper reports on pain knowledge, attitudes and beliefs changes of osteopathy learners undertaking pain education via three curricula models.

Methods

Osteopathy learners undertook pain education via three different curricula models and at different time points in the course: Standard (Year 4 & 5), Integrated (Year 2 & 3) or Block (Year 1). Learners completed questionnaires at the start (T1) and end (T2) of the 2018 academic year. Evaluation included demographic information, Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) and the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (PABS-PT).

Results

Matched data was received for 211 learners (40.5% response rate). Pain knowledge increased from T1 to T2 within all curricula models (p < 0.007) and between Block and Standard curricula models (p < 0.01). Differences in biomedical orientation scores for Block and Integrated (p < 0.01) and Block and Standard (p < 0.01) were found between groups, with Block model respondents recording the highest biomedical orientation scores. Differences in behavioural orientation score were found for Block and Standard (p < 0.01) with highest behavioural scores in the Integrated and Standard models. Cronbach's alpha was acceptable for PABS-PT Biomedical orientation score only (α = 0.71). T2 NPQ score was found to have a medium negative correlation with the T2 PABS-PT biomedical orientation score for all models, and with the behavioural orientation score for the integrated curriculum group (r = −0.31, p < 0.03).

Discussion

There were reductions in biomedical beliefs and increases in behavioural orientation scores as pain knowledge increased in each cohort over the 2018 academic year. However, osteopathy learners were also measured at different progress points and some measures have low reliability. Following these learner groups over time will enable further comparisons between these different curricula models.