Teaching behavioral pain management to healthcare professionals: a systematic review of research in training programs.

Pain is a common and potentially debilitating condition. Whereas there is vast literature on developmentally appropriate behavioral techniques for pain management, results of curriculum evaluations and knowledge surveys reveal a dearth of awareness of these strategies in healthcare professionals. As a result, the development and evaluation of pain management training programs are important endeavors. Results of studies evaluating such programs are promising and suggest that training might be an effective means of impacting healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and even patient care. These results must be interpreted with caution, however, because the literature contains several conceptual and methodologic limitations. These limitations, in combination with the wide diversity in program components, format of delivery, and research methods, preclude definitive conclusions on the most practical and effective means to provide training. To address this question, further systematic work on the development and evaluation of pain management training programs is warranted.