The EVMS Pain Education Initiative: A Multifaceted Approach to Resident Education

Abstract Chronic pain is a major health issue that causes significant patient morbidity as well as economic loss. Many studies have highlighted the lack of training in chronic pain management for resident physicians and the need to develop programs that address the challenges of providing care to chronic pain patients. We wanted to determine whether a workshop using a combination of standardized patients, small groups, and large group lectures addresses residents’ curricular needs regarding chronic pain management. We developed a 1-day workshop for residents at Eastern Virginia Medical School, which has a nationally recognized professional skills center. After completing the workshop, residents showed significant gains in knowledge (post-test vs pre-test overall mean +23.4%, P P P P P Perspective This article demonstrates that the use of standardized patients with other teaching methods is an effective approach in teaching resident physicians regarding the assessment and management of chronic pain patients. The findings have the potential to restructure our methods of teaching in chronic pain education.