Integrating an Interventional Pain Management Curriculum in Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Training: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Background Pain is a common symptom for patients with cancer. Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) physicians are expected to be experts in both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment of pain for this patient population. Insufficient knowledge of non-pharmacologic, interventional approaches to pain management is a barrier to providing optimal care. This study assesses the feasibility and effectiveness of an interventional pain management curriculum on HPM fellow knowledge at a single institution. Objectives The primary objective was to implement an interventional pain management curriculum for HPM fellows’ and secondly to measure its effects on their knowledge and confidence in interventional pain management approaches. Methods We executed an interventional pain management curriculum for HPM fellows. The curriculum consisted of 6 fifty-minute virtual lectures. Anonymous pre- and post-curriculum surveys were used to assess curricular impact. Results Post-course surveys showed a significant increase in HPM fellows’ knowledge and confidence in interventional pain management techniques. Conclusions An interventional pain management curriculum for HPM fellows is a feasible and promising intervention to significantly impact fellows’ knowledge and confidence in non-pharmacologic treatment of cancer pain.