Ethics of Pain Management in Vulnerable Populations: Details and Development of a Vital Interprofessional Graduate Course

Abstract: Chronic pain continues to be problematic for over 20% of the United States population. Yet, there is a paucity of holistic pain education in healthcare professional programs. Fortunately, the move toward integrating humanities and ethics into interprofessional education provided an opportunity to introduce a course, The Ethics of Pain Management in Vulnerable Populations, to the medicine and nursing curricula of a distinguished Midwest university. The course addresses the experience of pain in various cultures, age groups, marginalized populations, those with substance use disorders, physical and cognitive disabilities, mental illness, and others. Pain management policies are critiqued. Ethical theories provide frameworks for discussing ethical and safe pain care in all people groups.

This three-credit elective course opened in Fall 2023 for graduate students in medicine, nursing, bioethics, and humanities. Using a hybrid format of in-person and asynchronous online learning, sixteen students across four professional programs took part. Student engagement and written evaluations demonstrated a very successful inaugural course. Students commented: “I learned things about pain and vulnerability that I never knew existed” and “This course will have a deep impact on my professional and personal life”.

The aim of this paper/presentation is to share the vital content of this course and the process of development and implementation. I will discuss overcoming barriers, gaining stakeholder support, and making the course appealing and accessible to busy clinical students. I will reflect on what is marvelous, what needs revision, and what gaps to fill. Plans for a similar undergraduate course will also be presented.