What influences chronic pain management? A best–worst scaling experiment with final year medical students and general practitioners:

Background:Chronic pain education is an essential determinant for optimal chronic pain management. Given that attitudes and preferences are involved in making treatment decisions, identifying which factors are most influential to final year medical students’ and general practitioners’ (GPs) chronic pain management choices is of importance. This study investigates Swedish and Australian students’ preferences with respect to a chronic pain condition, using a best–worst scaling (BWS) experiment, which is designed to rank alternatives.Methods:BWS, a stated-preference method grounded in random utility theory, was used to explore the importance of factors influencing chronic pain management.Results:All three cohorts considered the patients’ pain description and previous treatment experience as the most important factors in making treatment decisions, whereas their demographics and voices or facial expressions while describing their pain were considered least important. Factors such as social support, patient pr...