Chronic pain and healthcare education in Canada: Bridging the divide

Chronic pain and healthcare education in Canada: Bridging the divide Hansel Lui from the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care discusses inadequacies in healthcare education regarding chronic pain management in Canada and opportunities to close these gaps. In this article, Hansel Lui, part of our team at the Michael G DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care and the National Pain Centre, provides an additional perspective on ‘pain care in Canada’ – one of the underlying elements of the opioid crisis in Canada. This is the amount of training for pain care that is provided to healthcare professionals. Much has been said about the role of physician prescribing in the origins of the opioid crisis, especially in North America. It is the case that most prescriptions for opioids are for the treatment of pain, either acute or chronic. Chronic pain is a pervasive health issue in Canada, yet education on its management is underrepresented in healthcare curricula. Recognition that chronic pain is not a simple biological problem but often a complex biopsychosocial phenomenon has led to further recognition that optimal treatment requires an understanding of this complexity and the availability of appropriate interdisciplinary treatment. However, this degree of understanding has not yet transitioned from the field of pain experts into the general level of knowledge and awareness of the broad range of practicing healthcare professionals in Canada. In its 2014 ‘First Do No Harm’ [FDNH] document, (1) the Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction [CCSA] made the point that effectively addressing the opioid crisis required not only an understanding of addiction but also an understanding of pain, its origins, impact and appropriate treatment. Fifty percent of the recommendations in the document addressed issues related to pain, including the education of healthcare professionals. This article explores recent progress, including adopting IASP guidelines, innovative teaching methods, and opportunities to close gaps in pain education.