Pain Management Series for Stroke: Identifying Teaching Methods to Increase Clinical Self-Efficacy for Occupational Therapy Doctoral Students

Purpose Post-stroke pain has been identified as a significant challenge for individuals experiencing a stroke. Occupational therapists play a crucial role in the complex treatment of post-stroke pain but often face challenges due to a lack of self-efficacy in implementing treatments for stroke-related pain. This project’s purpose was to,1) to identify which teaching methods are effective for increasing clinical self-efficacy in doctoral occupational therapy students for implementing pain management treatment for individuals’ post-stroke and 2) to increase reported clinical self-efficacy levels among these students following the completion of a pain management educational program for stroke pain. Methodology This project recruited a total of eight participants from a university in the southwest region using the quality improvement project design. The Program Feedback Questionnaire collected responses for instructional methods. The Modified Physiotherapist Self-Efficacy collected reported self-efficacy levels. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and a thematic coding process was used to analyze data. Results The most effective teaching method for self-efficacy was manual application, often referred to as “hands-on” instruction which allows learners to apply what was taught by performing a task or activity physically. There was a statistically significant outcome in clinical self-efficacy scores for participants ( p < 0.001), concluding the effectiveness of the program to increase clinical self-efficacy.