EFIC education
Pain Curricula
The EFIC® core curricula define what healthcare professionals in Europe should know, and be able to do, in the assessment and management of pain. Developed by EFIC task forces of clinicians, researchers, and educators, they set out the knowledge, skills, and competencies for a given profession and level of training, and they form the reference standard for the European Pain Federation diploma examinations.
EFIC take an interprofessional approach to pain education, recognising the role played by all healthcare professionals in pain management. To date, EFIC have developed curricula on pain medicine, pain physiotherapy, pain nursing, and pain psychology, together with curricula for undergraduate medical and pre-registration physiotherapy education. These curricula form the basis of each of our educational projects, including our examinations, pain schools, and refresher courses.
All curricula are published as open documents and may be read, downloaded, and cited freely. Universities, professional bodies, and course providers across Europe use them to design, benchmark, and accredit pain education. If you intend to adapt or translate a curriculum, please contact us first.
All EFIC curricula at a glance
Six curricula are currently in use. Four are postgraduate core curricula linked to an EFIC diploma examination; two are designed for entry-level professional education and are intended for adoption into undergraduate and pre-registration programmes.
| Curriculum | Profession | Level | Current version | Linked EFIC examination | Translations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate diploma core curricula | |||||
| Core Curriculum for the European Diploma in Pain Medicine | Medicine | Postgraduate, specialist | 2023 | EDPM | English only |
| Core Curriculum for the European Diploma in Pain Physiotherapy | Physiotherapy | Postgraduate, specialist | 2023 | EDPP | English only |
| Core Curriculum for the European Diploma in Pain Nursing | Nursing | Postgraduate, specialist | 2019 | EDPN | English only |
| Core Curriculum for the European Diploma in Pain Psychology | Psychology | Postgraduate, specialist | 2019 | EDPPsy | English only |
| Undergraduate and pre-registration curricula | |||||
| Pain Management Core Curriculum for Medical Students | Medicine | Undergraduate | 2013 | Not applicable | English only |
| Core Curriculum for Bachelor and Pre-Registration Physiotherapy Programmes | Physiotherapy | Undergraduate, pre-registration | 2023 | Not applicable | 9 languages |
Postgraduate diploma core curricula
These four curricula define the scope of specialist practice in pain for medicine, physiotherapy, nursing, and psychology. Each one is the syllabus for the corresponding European Pain Federation diploma examination, and each is written so that a training programme or a candidate can map existing knowledge and skills against it.
Pain Medicine (EDPM)
The competencies expected of a physician practising pain medicine, across assessment, diagnosis, multimodal management, and interprofessional working. The syllabus for the EDPM examination.
Pain Physiotherapy (EDPP)
Specialist competencies for physiotherapists working with people living with pain, including assessment, movement-based and educational interventions, and multidisciplinary care. Published with an accompanying reading list.
Pain Nursing (EDPN)
The knowledge and skills expected of nurses practising at a specialist level in pain, from assessment and pharmacological management to patient education and continuity of care.
Pain Psychology (EDPPsy)
Competencies for psychologists working in pain services, covering psychological assessment, evidence-based interventions, and the psychological dimensions of the bio-psycho-social model.
Undergraduate and pre-registration curricula
Pain is one of the most common reasons people seek healthcare, yet it remains under-represented in entry-level professional education. These two curricula are written to be embedded directly into degree and pre-registration programmes, and are the documents most often used by universities and professional bodies as a benchmark for curriculum review.
Bachelor and Pre-Registration Physiotherapy Programmes
The minimum pain content that every physiotherapy graduate in Europe should have covered before entering practice. Available in nine languages to support adoption by national programmes.
Pain Management for Medical Students
The core pain content recommended for undergraduate medical education, structured to fit within existing curricula. This edition remains current and in use; a revision is anticipated in due course.
Using EFIC curricula in your programme
The curricula are published so that they can be used. Universities, professional associations, national pain societies, and course providers are welcome to work with them, and we are glad to hear when they do.
Reading, downloading, and citing
All curricula may be read, downloaded, and cited freely, including in programme documentation, accreditation submissions, and published work. No permission is required. Please cite the document in full and retain the EFIC® attribution.
Adopting a curriculum
A curriculum may be used as a reference standard against which to map, benchmark, or design a programme. We would be pleased to know if you have done so, as it helps us understand how pain education is developing across Europe.
Adaptation and translation
Please contact us before adapting or translating a curriculum. Requests are discussed individually, and we will work with you on wording, review, and attribution so that the resulting version remains consistent with the original.
Get in touch before you adapt or translate
Adaptation and translation are handled case by case. Write to secretary@efic.org, telling us which curriculum you are interested in, your institution or organisation, the language or context involved, and how you intend to use it. We will come back to you to discuss how best to proceed.
How to cite an EFIC curriculum
Use the following pattern, replacing the title, year, and link with those of the curriculum concerned:
European Pain Federation EFIC. EFIC® Core Curriculum for the European Diploma in Pain Medicine. Brussels: European Pain Federation EFIC; 2023. Available from: https://europeanpainfederation.eu/education/pain-curricula/pain-medicine-edpm/A copy-ready citation is provided on each individual curriculum page.
Previous versions
Curricula are revised periodically, and the version shown on each page is the current one. Previous versions are available on request, for example where a programme was designed against an earlier edition or where a candidate is preparing for an examination governed by a specific version.
Write to secretary@efic.org, stating the curriculum and the version or year you need.
Frequently asked questions
What is an EFIC core curriculum?
An EFIC core curriculum is a reference document setting out the knowledge, skills, and competencies expected of a healthcare professional in the assessment and management of pain, for a defined profession and level of training. Each curriculum is developed by an EFIC task force of clinicians, researchers, and educators drawn from our national chapters, and is reviewed and approved by the Federation before publication.
May we use an EFIC curriculum in our university or training programme?
Yes. The curricula are published as open documents and may be read, downloaded, cited, and used as a reference standard for designing, mapping, or benchmarking a programme, with EFIC® attribution retained.
If you intend to adapt the content or translate it into another language, please contact us first at secretary@efic.org. These requests are discussed individually so that the resulting version remains consistent with the original.
Which curriculum applies to which EFIC examination?
Four of the curricula are directly linked to a European Pain Federation diploma examination: pain medicine to the EDPM, pain physiotherapy to the EDPP, pain nursing to the EDPN, and pain psychology to the EDPPsy. The curriculum defines the scope of the examination, and candidates should prepare against the version specified on the relevant examination page. The undergraduate medical and pre-registration physiotherapy curricula are not linked to an examination.
Are the curricula available in languages other than English?
The Core Curriculum for Bachelor and Pre-Registration Physiotherapy Programmes is available in Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Italian, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian, and Spanish, in addition to English. The remaining curricula are currently published in English only. Translations are produced in collaboration with national organisations, and we welcome enquiries from bodies interested in taking one forward.
How do I cite an EFIC curriculum?
Cite the Federation as author, the full title of the curriculum, Brussels as the place of publication, and the year of the version used, followed by the link to the curriculum page. A copy-ready citation is provided on each individual curriculum page.
Can I obtain a previous version of a curriculum?
Yes. Previous versions are available on request from secretary@efic.org. Please state the curriculum and the version or year you need.