Medical Studentsʼ Attitudes Toward Pain and the Use of Opioid Analgesics

Weinstein, Sharon M.; Laux, Lila; Ji, Thornby; Lorimor, Ronald J.; HILL, C. S.; THORPE, DEBBIE M.; Merrill, Joseph M.

doi:10.1097/00007611-200093050-00006

Cited by 73 publications

(57 citation statements)

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“…paediatric, obstetric and postoperative pain) were excluded. The questionnaire was focused on attitudes and beliefs towards elderly patients' pain and assessment of pain (Turner and Weiner, 2002), use of opioids for cancer pain (Weinstein et al, 2000b), anxiety about seeing a pain patient (Hajek et al, 2000a) and attitudes concerning treatment of chronic pain. Regrettably, no definitive factor solution could be reached.…”

Section: Construction Of the Questionnairementioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are rarely taught, but they are often adopted from supervisors as a part of a hidden curriculum (Klein et al, 1999). Students enter medical school with negative attitudes towards opioids and pain (Weinstein et al, 2000b;Sloan et al, 2001). Students have concern about dealing with patients in pain and they believe that working with pain patients is difficult (Wilson et al, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Students have concern about dealing with patients in pain and they believe that working with pain patients is difficult (Wilson et al, 1992). The professionalization process may reinforce these attitudes (Weinstein et al, 2000b) and anxiety towards chronic pain may influence the young physicians' encounter with patients (Mavis et al, 2002;Niemi-Murola et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An analysis identifying the underlying factors is needed when attempting to bring about a change in attitudes towards pain (Cochrane Review Group, 1999). Previous studies have focused on limited patient groups (Weinstein et al, 2000b;Ger et al, 2003) or effects of brief courses (Wilson et al, 1992;Sloan et al, 2004). To our knowledge, there are no instruments available for tracking the development of medical students' attitudes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Medical undergraduate students' beliefs and attitudes toward pain – How do they mature?

Niemi-Murola

Nieminen

Kalso

et al. 2007

European Journal of Pain

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At the University of Helsinki, pain-related topics are taught throughout medical studies but without a formal pain curriculum. The purpose of this study was to assess medical students' attitudes towards pain. A questionnaire using a 6-point Likert scale was constructed to measure pain-related attitudes and beliefs described in previous studies. After a pilot study, the questionnaire was developed to assess attitudes towards elderly patients' pain, prescription of opioids, assessment of pain and anxiety concerning chronic pain and its treatment. An electronic questionnaire with seven demographic and 28 pain-related items was sent via e-mail to 680 medical students at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Three reminders were sent with a new letter of encouragement. The students had 3 weeks to answer the questionnaire. The questionnaire was returned by 63.4% of the students (N=430). There were statistically significant differences between the students in different study years showing increasing empathy towards elderly patients' pain (p<0.001), willingness to prescribe opioids (p<0.001) and anxiety about meeting patients suffering from chronic pain (p<0.01). Final year students felt significantly more often anxious about seeing a chronic pain patient (p<0.05) compared with the first year students. Female students were more anxious about seeing a patient suffering from chronic pain (p<0.05) and they were less confident of their ability to treat chronic pain patients in primary care (p<0.001) than the male students. The general attitudes of students mature as hoped for during medical studies. Attitudes towards treating the pain of cancer patients and elderly patients are positive. Attention should be paid to helping students to cope with their emotions and to reducing their anxiety about meeting patients with chronic pain.

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Section: Construction Of the Questionnairementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Medical undergraduate students' beliefs and attitudes toward pain – How do they mature?

Niemi-Murola

Nieminen

Kalso

et al. 2007

European Journal of Pain

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A survey of Family Practice residency program directors revealed that the majority believed their residents did not receive adequate training for recognizing and treating pain [6]. A survey of senior medical students revealed that more than half believed that patients given opioids are at significant risk of addiction [1]. Another study of medical students and house officers found that only 8% could correctly convert from one opioid formulation to an "approximately equal analgesic dose of a second regimen," even when reference materials were supplied [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%