Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Aug 8;24(1).
doi: 10.1515/sjpain-2024-0017. eCollection 2024 Jan 1.

The "future" pain clinician: Competencies needed to provide psychologically informed care

Steven J Linton  1 , Peter B O'Sullivan  2 , Hedvig E Zetterberg  1   3 , Johan W S Vlaeyen  4
Affiliations
Free article
Review

The "future" pain clinician: Competencies needed to provide psychologically informed care

Steven J Linton et al. Scand J Pain. .
Free article

Abstract

Background & objective: Psychologically informed care has been proposed to improve treatment outcomes for chronic pain and aligns with a person-centered approach. Yet implementation lags behind, and studies suggest that a lack of competency leads to poor results. It is unclear what training clinicians require to deliver this care. We examine how we might improve psychologically informed care guided by the needs of the patient and in congruence with the scientific literature with a particular focus on how competencies might be upgraded and implementation enhanced.

Methods: We selectively review the literature for psychologically informed care for pain. The patient's view on what is needed is contrasted with the competencies necessary to meet these needs and how treatment should be evaluated.

Results: Patient needs and corresponding competencies are delineated. A number of multi-professional skills and competencies are required to provide psychologically informed care. Single-subject methodologies can determine whether the care has the desired effect for the individual patient and facilitate effectiveness. We argue that becoming a competent "pain clinician" requires a new approach to education that transcends current professional boundaries.

Conclusions: Providing person-centered care guided by the needs of the patient and in line with the scientific literature shows great potential but requires multiple competencies. We propose that training the pain clinician of the future should focus on psychologically informed care and the competencies required to meet the individual's needs. Single-subject methodology allows for continual evaluation of this care.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Simpson P, Holopainen R, Schütze R, O’Sullivan P, Smith A, Linton SJ, et al. Training of physical therapists to deliver individualized biopsychosocial interventions to treat musculoskeletal pain conditions: a scoping review. Phys Ther. 2021 Oct;101(10):pzab188. 10.1093/ptj/pzab188 . - DOI
    1. Henrich D, Glombiewski JA, Scholten S. Systematic review of training in cognitive-behavioral therapy: Summarizing effects, costs and techniques. Clin Psychol Rev. 2023 Apr;101:102266. 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102266 . - DOI
    1. Lin I, Wiles L, Waller R, Caneiro J, Nagree Y, Straker L, et al. Patient-centred care: the cornerstone for high-value musculoskeletal pain management. Br J Sports Med. 2020 Nov;54(21):1240–2. 10.1136/bjsports-2019-101918 . - DOI
    1. Slater H, Jordan JE, O’Sullivan PB, Schütze R, Goucke R, Chua J, et al. “Listen to me, learn from me”: a priority setting partnership for shaping interdisciplinary pain training to strengthen chronic pain care. Pain. 2022 Nov;163(11):e1145–63. 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002647 . - DOI
    1. Blyth FM, Macfarlane GJ, Nicholas MK. The contribution of psychosocial factors to the development of chronic pain: The key to better outcomes for patients. Pain. 2007 May;129(1):8–11. 10.1016/j.pain.2007.03.009 . - DOI

LinkOut - more resources