Implementing cancer pain education for medical students.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot a cancer pain education course for medical students, using a structured home hospice visit.


METHODS
A 1-hour home hospice visit was presented to 57 senior medical students. The content and objective criteria for the structured home hospice visit were developed by a multidisciplinary group of experts. During a 1-hour interview, students completed a cancer pain history, performed a focused physical examination, and received feedback and teaching regarding the essentials of cancer pain management from the hospice nurse. All students and hospice patients completed a multi-item evaluation questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree; 5=strongly agree) regarding the structured home hospice visit.


RESULTS
Most students agreed strongly that the home hospice visit was a positive experience (mean +/- SD 4.8 +/- 0.44) that helped them to understand the management of cancer pain (mean 4.7 +/- 0.46) and opioid-related side effects (mean 4.5 +/- 0.57). Most patients enjoyed visiting with the students (mean 4.90 +/- 0.30), agreed that the visit was not tiring (mean 4.81 +/- 0.51), and felt that they benefited from participating (mean 4.76 +/- 0.54).


CONCLUSIONS
The authors concluded the following: 1) that medical students benefited from learning about cancer pain assessment and management through the use of a structured home hospice visit; 2) that a structured home hospice visit helped the students to learn the basics of cancer pain management; 3) that patients enjoyed their role as teacher for medical students; and 4) that senior hospice nurses provided excellent instruction for medical students in the management of cancer pain.
Sloan
P A
PA
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, USA.
LaFountain
P
P
Plymale
M
M
Johnson
M
M
Montgomery
C
C
Snapp
J
J
Sloan
D
D
D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017051:Hospice Care; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010166:Palliative Care; D013337:Students, Medical