Effectiveness of a teaching programme in pain and symptom management for junior house officers

The objectives of this study were (i) to assess the level of knowledge with respect to pain and symptom management among doctors in their first year a fter graduation and (ii) to measure the impact of a structured teaching pro gramme on their level of knowledge. All 34 newly qualified junior house off icers in one teaching hospital were offered a six-session teaching programm e in pain and symptom management. A multiple-choice questionnaire was used to assess their level of knowledge at the beginning and at the end of a 6-m onth period over which the teaching sessions took place. Attendance at and satisfaction with the programme were high. There was a significant improvem ent in the level of knowledge at the end of the programme, with the greates t improvement in those who attended most sessions. The low scores recorded for the questionnaire administered before the teaching programme suggest th at there is a critical need for improved education in palliative care among st newly qualified doctors. We have shown that a simple in-service case-bas ed teaching programme can meet this need effectively.