609: Applying IASP Guidelines in Physical Therapy Clinical Education: A Novel Framework

Topic: Education, Societal Impact, and Others
Subtopic: Education of pain care

Background and Aims: The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) guidelines for physical therapy (PT) pain education have been successfully integrated into entry-level physical therapy didactic education; however, there is no literature describing how IASP pain education guidelines are operationalized in PT clinical settings or how clinical learning environments can support the IASP guidelines. The purpose of this case series is to describe a novel clinical education framework to apply the IASP guidelines in a PT pain management clinic.

Methods: The framework focused on clinical education by highlighting clinical opportunities for integration of core competencies, progressive exposure of experiential learning, and reflective practice with article reviews and patient cases. PTs in a pain management clinic setting utilized the framework with third year PT students over the course of 2 years. 1:1, semi-structure interviews were used to explore thoughts on the framework and integration of IASP core competencies amongst three PTs. A qualitative descriptive approach was used for data analyses.

Results: PTs responded positively to the framework, and the themes highlighted the value of integrating the IASP core competencies: (1) Anchoring Student Pain Knowledge While Expanding Clinical Creativity, (2) Layering Pain Learning Across Clinical Encounters, and (3) Navigating the Complexity of the Patient Pain Experience. In addition, PTs either explicitly described or implicitly conveyed simultaneous reflection of their own practice while engaging student reflection on IASP core competencies. PTs also more heavily discussed core competencies surrounding objective pain exams, pain state diagnoses, and the multidimensional nature of pain, indicating opportunities for framework refinement of strategies to capture less emphasized domains.

Conclusions: This is the first description of IASP guidelines for PT pain education applied in the clinical setting. This study provides: 1. a framework for integrating core competencies into clinical education in a pain management setting, and 2. description of PTs thoughts on the impact of the framework in their clinical teaching. These preliminary results demonstrate strong potential value of this clinical education framework to support IASP educational guidelines in clinical settings.

References: 1. Wong, M. L., & Kirk-Sanchez, N. (2021). Moving from Strategy to Process: An Iterative and Formative Approach to Integrating the IASP Pain Curriculum Guidelines into an Established Physical Therapy Program. Journal of Allied Health, 50(3), 213–220. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48722888
2. Burke-Doe, A., Johnson, K., Laslovich, S., Smith, K., Ivey, C., Edwards, A., Ingstad, C., Lowe, E., Mathews, J., Roberts, T., MacDermott, S., & Warren, J. (2024). Deconstructing Curriculum and Assessment of Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Pain in Pre-Licensure Occupational and Physical Therapy Education. Educational Research: Theory & Practice, 35(1), 38–52.
3. Curriculum Outline on Pain for Physical Therapy. IASP; 2018.
4. Chimenti, R. L., Frey-Law, L. A., & Sluka, K. A. (2018). A Mechanism-Based Approach to Physical Therapist Management of Pain. Physical therapy, 98(5), 302–314. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzy030

Presenting Author: Chelsea Miller, DPT, MSPH
Submitting Author: Chelsea Miller

Senior Author: Marlon Wong, PhD

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: No

• Juan Gonzalez: DPT - University of Miami
• Jessica Bolanos: DPT - University of Miami
• Gabriel Gonzalez: DPT - University of Miami
• Maximillian O'Malley: DPT - University of Miami
• Annemay Lelis: DPT - University of Miami
• Richard Martinez: MS PSCH - University of Miami