Publication:

Knowledge, attitude and related practices about chronic pain conditions and pain clinic among undergraduate students in a medical college

Background Objectives were to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and related practices about chronic pain conditions and pain clinics among undergraduate medical students in a medical college.

Methods This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 226 final-year undergraduate students and interns at Heritage Institute of Medical Sciences, Varanasi. Data were collected through a Google Form questionnaire designed to assess basic knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to chronic pain and pain clinic awareness. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the responses.

Results Most participants correctly defined chronic pain (88.9%) and a pain clinic (87.6%), though only 37.6% identified a validated pain assessment scale. Arthritis was the most commonly identified chronic pain condition. Despite 127 students or family members reporting chronic pain, only 11 had ever consulted a pain clinic. The mean Likert score for perception of pain physicians’ competence was 3.82, while agreement on including chronic pain education in the medical curriculum scored 4.09, indicating a strongly positive attitude.

Conclusions Although conceptual awareness of chronic pain and pain clinics was high among participants, significant gaps were found in applied knowledge and exposure to multidisciplinary pain care. The findings underscore the need for integrating structured pain management education and clinical exposure into undergraduate medical training in India.