EFIC is happy to announce that the results of the EFIC Education Study were published in the European Journal of Pain in May 2025 and can be accessed here.
Conclusions
Significant gaps persist in the depth, consistency, and delivery of pain education for undergraduate and postgraduate health professionals across Europe. The absence of standardised, evidence-based curricula underscores the need for consistent pain education across all disciplines. Implementing targeted educational standards, increasing interdisciplinary training, and supporting qualified educators are essential to address this fragmented landscape. Standardising pain education has the potential to greatly improve patient outcomes by equipping healthcare professionals with more effective pain management skills.
Significance Statement
This multiple method study provides an updated and comprehensive overview of the current state of pain education for healthcare professionals in Europe at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Substantial gaps remain in the depth, consistency, and delivery of pain education for both undergraduate and postgraduate healthcare professionals across Europe. This underscores the need to enhance pain education at the undergraduate level, with EFIC’s existing medicine and physiotherapy resources offering potential models, alongside wider efforts to implement comprehensive postgraduate training. Standardising the delivery of targeted pain education has the potential to greatly improve patient outcomes by equipping healthcare professionals with more effective pain management skills.
