Table 2.
Primary care physician chronic pain therapy beliefs prior to the on-line Continuing Medical Education course (N=224).
| Physician Belief | Mean (SD), Median [(IQR], or n (%) |
|---|---|
| Confidence Scale* | |
| Mean (SD) | 3.2 (0.5) |
| Median [IQR] | 3.0 [3.0, 3.6] |
| High scores (3.5+), n (%) | 60 (26.8%) |
| Moderate scores (2.5 – < 3.5), n (%) | 153 (68.3%) |
| Low scores (< 2.5), n (%) | 11 (4.9%) |
| Liberal Prescribing Beliefs Scale± | |
| Mean (SD) | 2.6 (0.6) |
| Median [IQR] | 2.6 [2.2, 3.0] |
| High scores (3.5+), n (%) | 13 (5.9%) |
| Moderate scores (2.5 – < 3.5), n (%) | 117 (52.7%) |
| Low scores (< 2.5), n (%) | 92 (41.4%) |
| Providers are obligated to provide immediate pain relief for patients with chronic pain. | |
| Agree or Strongly Agree, n (%) | 10 (4.5%) |
| Neutral, n (%) | 32 (14.2%) |
| Disagree or Strongly Disagree, n (%) | 182 (81.3%) |
| Opioid dose should be increased until patients report satisfactory pain relief (dose escalation). | |
| Agree or Strongly Agree, n (%) | 19 (8.5%) |
| Neutral, n (%) | 43 (19.2%) |
| Disagree or Strongly Disagree, n (%) | 162 (72.3%) |
| Pain needs to be significantly reduced before chronic pain patients can address other life problems. | |
| Agree or Strongly Agree, n (%) | 23 (10.3%) |
| Neutral, n (%) | 42 (18.7%) |
| Disagree or Strongly Disagree, n (%) | 159 (71.0%) |
*
The Confidence Scale ranges from 1 to 5, with “1” signifying “Not at all Confident” and “5” signifying “Extremely Confident.”
±
The Liberal Prescribing Beliefs Scale ranges from 1 to 5, with “1” signifying “Strongly Disagree” and “5” signifying “Strongly Agree.”