Interprofessional teaching in medical education:The experience of the Interprofessional Academic Outpatient Clinic for chronic pain

Interprofessional education (IPE) has gained significant attention in the field of medical education. Recognizing that patients with chronic pain requires an interprofessional approach for effective treatment because of the pathophysiology of chronic pain that involves mechanisms related to the biopsychosocial. We identified the potential to offer interprofessional care for patients with chronic pain combined with interprofessional education at the Academic Interprofessional Chronic Pain Outpatient Clinic of the School of Medicine and Life Sciences of The Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná in south Brazil. The Interprofessional Teaching-Assistance Program began in 2020 and involved initially medicine and psychology students, being expanded in 2023 to include nursing, nutrition, physiotherapy, architecture and fine arts students. We collected experience reports of some students. In three years, 315 patients were treated, 28 (8,8%) in 2020, 87 (27,6%) in 2021, 108 (34,2%) in 2022 and 92 (29,2%) in 2023. The faculty-team managed the outpatient clinic, planned teaching-learning activities, tutored students in providing interprofessional individual care and in organizing psychoeducation groups. Students report good practical learning experiences, recognition of the importance of interprofessional teamwork, development of clinical competencies and collaboration skills. The implementation of the IPE was carried out gradually and overcame the challenges. We recognize the limitations of the program and the necessity to expand the program for more students, to implement an IPE-curriculum and systematize the measures of patients and students benefits. The experience of the first years showed that it was possible to organize and manage an interprofessional assistance service for patients with chronic pain, implement an IPE teaching-learning program for medicine, psychology, nursing, physiotherapy, architecture and fine arts students. The implementation of the IPE program in the care of patients with chronic pain appears to be advantageous and benefits both patients and students.