Abstract Background To determine the effectiveness of a brief, structured educational session, based on the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) core competencies, in improving knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of physical therapy students towards pain and to determine whether those changes are sustained one year later. Methods A longitudinal prospective cohort study was conducted within an entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. Participants ( n = 172) in the first or second year of the DPT program completed the Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (rNPQ) and the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (PABS-PT). Results Eighty-two participants (age, 25.00 ± 3.25 years; 59 females) completed the pre survey resulting in a 47.6% response rate. Both the post survey and the one year follow up were completed by 57 students. Participants exhibited lower PABS-Bio scores directly following the education session as compared to baseline ( p < 0.001), but not at one year follow-up ( p = 0.163). Participants exhibited higher PABS-Psy scores following the session ( p < 0.001) and at one year follow-up ( p = 0.001). Participants exhibited improved rNPQ scores following the session ( p = 0.043) and at one year follow-up ( p < 0.001). Conclusions Significant changes occurred in knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding pain immediately after an educational session. Pain knowledge increased one year later, but sustained changes in attitudes and beliefs regarding pain were mixed at one year follow-up. A single education session alone may be insufficient to change attitudes and beliefs in the long term. It is not known if a more frequent mode of delivery, or content threaded through several courses across the curriculum may lead to greater changes long-term. Further research determining the mode, frequency, and integration of pain-related content with other content in a DPT curriculum is needed.
Case-Morris et al. (Thu,) studied this question.