Search

It has been consistently documented that the treatment of acute pain is inadequate. Education of medical students is an obvious strategy to improve this. We therefore conducted a study in which 217 medical students were randomized into one of three groups: a control group (no intervention) and two intervention groups (education with e-learning alone or e-learning combined with simulation-based training). We hypothesized that the combined intervention would be superior to no intervention and e-learning alone. All students completed the same multiple choice questionnaire twice with an interval of approximately 1 week. During this 1-week interval, students in the two intervention groups completed either an 45-min interactive case-based e-learning program, or the e-learning program and a simulation-based training. We showed that the theoretical knowledge about treatment of acute pain increased in both intervention groups but students who received the combined intervention felt more confident in the future handling of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Pain management is often inadequate in emergency departments (ED) despite the availability of effective analgesics. Interventions to change professional behavior may therefore help to improve the management of pain within the ED. We hypothesized that a 2-h educational intervention combining e-learning and simulation would result in improved pain treatment of ED patients with pain. Methods Data were collected at the ED of Horsens Regional Hospital during a 3-week study period in March 2015. Pain intensity (NRS, 0–10) and analgesic administration were recorded 24 h a day for all patients who were admitted to the ED during the first and third study weeks. Fifty-three ED nurses and 14 ED residents participated in the educational intervention, which took place in the second study week. Results In total, 247 of 796 patients had pain >3 on the NRS at the admission to the ED and were included in the data analysis. The theoretical knowledge of pain management among nurses and residents increased as assessed by a multiple choice test performed before and after the educational intervention ( P = 0.001), but no change in clinical practice could be observed: The administration for analgesics [OR: 1.79 (0.97–3.33)] and for opioids [2.02 (0.79–5.18)] were similar before and after the educational intervention, as was the rate of clinically meaningful pain reduction (NRS >2) during the ED stay [OR: 0.81 (CI 0.45–1.44)]. Conclusions Conduction of a 2-h educational intervention combining interactive case-based e-learning with simulation-based training in an ED setting was feasible with a high participation rate of nurses and residents. Their knowledge of pain management increased after completion of the program, but transfer of the new knowledge into clinical practice could not be found. Future research should explore the effects of repeated education of healthcare providers on pain management. Implications It is essential for nurses and residents in emergency departments to have the basic theoretical and practical skills to treat acute pain properly. A modern approach including e-learning and simulation lead to increased knowledge of acute pain management. Further studies are needed to show how this increased knowledge is transferred into clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]