Maintaining High-Quality Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Fellowship Programs: Part II: Innovations in Clinical Care Workflow, Clinical Supervision, Job Satisfaction, and Postgraduation Mentorship for Pain Fellows During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background Pain fellowship programs are facing unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions by state governments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have resulted in a rapidly changing and evolving learning environment for today’s fellows. Innovative solutions must be sought to maintain proper education and ensure the well-being of our trainees. Methods We assembled a panel of pain program directors who serve as officers/board members of the Association of Pain Program Directors, offering guidance and recommendations to pain fellowship directors nationwide. Panel members evaluate the best available evidence and expert opinion on use of remote and virtual platforms in clinical care, adaptability to alterations in clinic and referral management, and provide guidance on postgraduate impact. Conclusions The country is in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic. The impact on pain management fellowships has been significant and will likely last for months, resulting in extraordinary challenges to the administration of pain fellowship programs and the education of our fellows. Several strategies will help address these challenges, including employing telehealth capabilities to continue clinical experiences and providing trainees with opportunities to continue their professional growth beyond fellowship completion. Together, we can implement innovative solutions to overcome these challenges.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on anaesthesia trainees and their training

“…6 US directors of pain programmes have developed detailed guidance on adapting training. 7,8 Many countries have redeployed non-anaesthesia trainees to ICU, an unsettling and challenging time for those affected. 9 In Dublin, anaesthesia trainees supported redeployed peers from surgery and psychiatry introducing them to ICU in a safe and controlled manner.…”

Telemedicine and current clinical practice trends in the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Telemedicine is incorporated as a training tool for the new generation of pain practitioners. The possibility that telehealth may not dissolve has pivoted training programs to include telemedicine training as part of their curriculum [ 64 ]. Millennial trainees may absorb this information and direct the improvement of the telemedicine platform.…”

“The World Upside Down”: Clinical Encounters with the First Cohort of a New Pain-Focused Post-Professional Clinical Master’s Degree Program in the COVID-19 Era

“…It has been suggested that managing expectations of both patients and health care providers is valuable in maintaining a mutual appreciation for changes in organizational and care structures while managing the COVID-19 crisis [ 8 ]. One participant stated, “my plans were dashed when this little thing call ‘COVID-19’ decided to show up and flip the whole world upside down.…”