Australia launches national standards for pain management education
The Faculty of Pain Medicine (FPM) of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) has formally launched the Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education at Parliament House in Canberra.
Developed by FPM, Australia's specialist medical body for pain medicine, with federal government funding, the standards are the first of their kind in Australia and internationally.
They set a national benchmark for high-quality pain management education across all health professions and levels of training.
Parliamentarians, policymakers, health leaders, educators, regulators, consumers, specialist medical college representatives and pain sector delegates gathered to mark the national release of the standards and support implementation across Australia's health and education systems.
Pain is one of Australia’s most common, complex and costly health issues, yet pain management education remains inconsistent across health professional training. The standards are designed to help ensure health practitioners are better equipped to assess, manage and support people living with pain, regardless of profession, care setting or location.
By strengthening pain education across the health workforce, the standards aim to improve the way pain is recognised, assessed and managed, supporting better patient outcomes, more consistent care and a reduction in the personal, health system and economic burden of pain.
FPM Dean Professor Michael Veltman said the launch marked a significant milestone for pain management education in Australia.
“People living with pain deserve high-quality care, regardless of who they see or where they live. These standards establish, for the first time, a shared benchmark for pain management education across Australia's health workforce.”
“When health practitioners receive consistent, high-quality education in pain management, patients are more likely to receive timely, evidence-informed and person-centred care. That is critical to reducing the burden of pain on individuals, families, communities and the health system.”
Professor Veltman said the focus must now turn to implementation.
"We are calling on education providers, specialist medical colleges, regulators, accreditation bodies, health services, consumer organisations and governments to work with us to embed them into education, training and practice."
The faculty says the standards are the first major deliverable under the National Strategy for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education and mark an important step towards improving pain management capability across Australia’s health system.
View the standards and keep up to date with the latest news and events for the Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education.
