The Future of Pain Management

The Challenge

Chronic pain affects 1 in 5 Australians, significantly impacting quality of life and productivity. The economic burden is projected to rise from $139 billion in 2018 to $215.6 billion by 2050. Many healthcare professionals lack training in non-drug, person-centred pain management approaches.

Project Overview 

The Online Pain Education Network (OPEN) Clinical Pain Management (CPM) Education Training Program is a self-directed eLearning initiative designed to enhance the knowledge, confidence, and skills of healthcare professionals, including GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other allied health professionals. Training focuses on practical upskilling to reflect real world practices (people’s lived pain stories) and enabling people in pain to be active participants in their pain care and health, in partnership with their healthcare providers.

‍Project Outcomes

• Develop Training Program: Creation of the OPEN Clinical Pain Management (CPM) Training Program.
• Digital Platform: Development of the OPEN website and Learning Management System to support dissemination, scalability, and sustainability.
• Program Launch: Early 2025 - initiation and ongoing evaluation of the program.

Measuring Impact

Hearts and Minds measures its impact across six core categories as developed by the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes. Key highlights include:

Advancing Knowledge

• Framework Development: Created the "Listen to me, learn from me" framework to shape interdisciplinary digital pain education.
• Publication Success: Framework published in the PAIN journal, (the leading international pain journal), winning the Editor’s Choice award and ranking in the 97th percentile of similar articles.
• Increased Awareness: Raised consumer and community awareness through events like the Australian Pain Society annual conference, Pinnacles Pain Sector Awards dinner, and Chronic Pain Australia’s Pain Week panel webinar.

Research Capacity Building

• Diverse Team: A diverse team of researchers at various career stages, with approximately 50% being women.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborated with key stakeholders such as the Australian Pain Society, Faculty of Pain Medicine, universities, Primary Health Networks, compensation bodies, and consumer pain organisations.

Health Impacts

The program aims to:

• Improve Skills: Enhance healthcare professionals' knowledge, confidence, and skills in best practice pain care.‍
• Patient Outcomes: Improve the quality of life for chronic pain patients, reducing disability, mental health issues, and healthcare utilisation.

Economic Impacts

The program has the potential to:

• Reduce Costs: Decrease healthcare costs.
• Boost Productivity: Increase productivity.
• Offer Affordable Training: Provide healthcare professionals with access to affordable training.

Social Impacts

The program supports health outcomes and care experiences for a diverse range of patients, with further adaptation needed for First Nations people, CALD communities, children, and adolescents. Key social impacts include:

• ‍Enhanced Attitudes: Improved attitudes towards chronic pain patients.‍
• Awareness: Increased awareness of self-management strategies.‍
• Participation: Greater social and workforce participation for patients.

Informing Decisions

The program guides decisions in pain management education through:

• National Recognition: Highlighted in the Faculty of Pain Medicine’s National Strategy for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education (2023), funded by the Australian Government.
• Expert Involvement: Researchers involved in key committees, such as the Agency for Clinical Innovation Pain Management Network Executive and the Australian Pain Society Board.

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The program represents a significant step towards a more effective, person-centred approach to pain management. The program aims to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance the quality of life for those living with chronic pain. Please register for OPEN updates here.

‍Funding support from Hearts and Minds Investments, as nominated by Core Fund Manager, TDM Growth Partners

This content was last updated in July 2024, for further information visit ‍Pain Foundation.