title: Improving undergraduate medical education about pain assessment and management: a qualitative descriptive study of stakeholders' perceptions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pain is one of the most common reasons for individuals to seek medical advice, yet it remains poorly managed. One of the main reasons that poor pain management persists is the lack of adequate knowledge and skills of practicing clinicians, which stems from a perceived lack of pain education during the training of undergraduate medical students.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify gaps in knowledge with respect to pain management as perceived by students, patients and educators.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Data were generated through six focus groups with second- and fourth-year medical students, four focus groups with patients and individual semistructured interviews with nine educators. All interviews were audiotaped and an inductive thematic analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 70 individuals participated in the present study. Five main themes were identified: assessment of physical and psychosocial aspects of pain; clinical management of pain with pharmacology and alternative therapies; communication and the development of a good therapeutic relationship; ethical considerations surrounding pain; and institutional context of medical education about pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participating patients, students and pain experts recognized a need for additional medical education about pain assessment and management. Educational approaches need to teach students to gather appropriate information about pain, to acquire knowledge of a broad spectrum of therapeutic options, to develop a mutual, trusting relationship with patients and to become aware of their own biases and prejudice toward patients with pain. The results of the present study should be used to develop and enhance existing pain curricula content.
authors.forename: Pierre-Paul
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Tellier
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bélanger
authors.forename: Charo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ware
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Posel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055815:Young Adult