April, 1999

Innovative Approach to Pain Management Education for House Staff At Hospital of St. Raphael, New Haven, CT

At St. Raphael's Hospital, PainLink team members developed a creative approach to engage physicians in the pain management improvement process. Implemented in the Spring of 1998, the program assesses basic competencies in pain management, provides a forum for physician discussion of pain management, and establishes that effective pain management is an institutionalized value at St. Raphael's. Prospective house staff are mailed a questionnaire in May which asks them (1) what exposure they have had to pain management concepts in their medical school curriculum, (2) to identify their own pain management learning needs, and (3) to complete the true/false questions from the McCaffery Knowledge survey. The results are analyzed and presented to the group during the CQI component of hospital orientation. The program was been well received and generated good discussion during the inaugural year. This educational assessment and intervention is now a built-in component for the orientation of new house staff that is held annually. In the future, house staff will be re-surveyed at the completion of the first year of residency.

Mary Sayers MS, RN
Quality Improvement
Hospital of St. Raphael
1450 Chapel Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Last Updated: April 18, 2000