Earlier this week, the Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education were launched by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) Faculty of Pain Medicine at Parliament House.
5.4 million Australians suffer from chronic pain, most commonly back and joint pain, with women and Indigenous Australians disproportionately impacted. The cost of this is estimated to be $140 billion each year, including $12 billion in direct costs to the health system. General Practitioners have reported a 67% increase in patients presenting with pain in the last decade, now making up 40% of presentations.
These new standards represent the first nationally consistent evidence-based framework for the treatment of chronic pain. The standards are universal principles to be used across disciplines and applied to curricula across all levels of clinical education for different craft groups. They seek to provide clarity and tools for clinicians, and facilitate a shared language between patients and clinicians.