Running from 2024 through 2025 and supported through FATES funding (Flexible Approach to Training in Expanded Settings), this project endeavours to:
- Identify accreditation pathways that support regional based pain medicine training.
- Consider for approval a preferred accreditation pathway to support rural training.
- Aim to visit and accredit several rural/regional based sites by the end of 2025.
What's happening?
Following consultations in 2024 and informed by a review of Australian and international literature, several flexible options developed by the faculty have now been approved for pilot.
Rural and regional Australian pain units can now apply for accreditation to be part of this pilot.
Can units apply for flexible accreditation as a Level 1 or PDS unit?
Yes. Units can apply for accreditation through this pilot as either a Level 1 or PDS unit.
What are the flexible options?
A unit may seek accreditation with a combination of one or more of these options. It is the role of the FPM Training Unit Accreditation Committee to determine accreditation of units based on their published standards and procedures.
- Training locations and networks.
- Supervision arrangements (more applicable for units applying for PDS accreditation).
- Onsite and telehealth-provided multidisciplinary team members.
- Scope of pain medicine practice, enabling sites to adapt to the regional context.
More details can be found below.
The flexible options
Collectively, a training network is linked to the outcomes of the specialist medical training program. Units applying as part of the pilot may comprise of:
- Individual hospital/health service (one site)
- Network of hospitals/health services (up to four sites)
Considering blended remote supervision or remote supervision models, which are more applicable to PDS accreditation. Examples may include but are not limited to:
- FPM Fellow onsite supplemented by senior medical staff or consultants of a related specialty, e.g. rehabilitation, anaesthetics per training network.
- FPM Fellow onsite supplemented by remote supervision.
- FPM Fellow supervision provided as part of the training network but not based locally. A placement supervisor provides day to day clinical supervision.
Supplementing the available onsite multidisciplinary team with telehealth options where required:
- Onsite
- A blend of onsite and telehealth
- Telehealth option
Flexing training opportunities around trainees – resources (infrastructure, supervision and supporting health professionals) are identified and drawn in to facilitate a training experience tailored to the individual trainee. This may be time-limited to the specific trainee. Examples include:
- Exposure to all aspects of pain medicine at one site
- Exposure to all aspects of pain medicine across a group of sites collectively
- Optional rotations/placements in major tertiary teaching hospitals to tailor the training experience around trainee interests
- Rotations/placements in major tertiary teaching hospitals as part of the regional unit’s training program to supplement exposure to areas of pain medicine not seen in the rural setting.
Frequently asked questions about involvement in the Flexible accreditation pathways pilot.
We've accredited more than 40 multidisciplinary pain management units (training units) in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore to provide approved pain medicine training.