UNLABELLED: Treating chronic pain forms an integral part of patient care where a doctor's level of expertise is important for ensuring an adequately pain-free life. The aim of the study, therefore, was to assess the level of knowledge in pain management among doctors during their post-graduate education; some of whom were already qualified in various branches of medical specialisation.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey was performed on doctors undergoing post-graduate training unrelated to the treatment of pain at the Post-Graduate Education Centre at the Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, Poland. The questionnaire comprised of demographic and factual sections, the latter consisting of nine multiple choice questions on symptomatology and pharmacology of pain, including opioid treatment and neuropathic pain.RESULTS: From the 271 respondents, 203 (74.9%) filled in the questionnaire properly, of whom 131 (64.5%) were female. The mean age was 35.5 years (SD=6.3). The average number of correct replies received were 5.75 or 63.9%, (SD=0.51); of the total of 9 questions set, correct answers were seen most frequently for questions No. 2 and question No. 4 (83.7 and 78.3%, respectively). Only 7 fully correct sets of answers were recorded.CONCLUSIONS: Significant shortcomings in knowledge about pain management were therefore observed from the sample of doctors' taken in the presented study. It is suggested that alternative/modified methods of education are required to address this issue, especially for doctors who do not have to deal with pain on a daily basis.
Adult Clinical Competence