A Curriculum to Address Family Medicine Residents' Skills in Treating Patients with Chronic Pain

Abstract

Chronic pain is a challenging condition, both for the patient, who is coping with constant pain and limitations in functionality, and for the treating physician. Narcotic medications, often used for the treatment of chronic pain, can be addictive and rates of overdose deaths associated with their use have increased significantly in the last 10 years [1]. Behavioral and physician faculty at the Lincoln Family Medicine Center developed a curriculum to improve family medicine residents' skills in the treatment of patients with chronic pain. The experience includes education in pain physiology and assessment, administration of medications, adjunctive treatments, and interactions with difficult patients. Two cohorts of residents have participated in the curriculum with positive results. The curriculum may be helpful for primary care providers with privileges to prescribe narcotic medications and is targeted towards resident physicians.