Assessment of knowledge about the neurophysiology of pain and self-perception of skills to assist individuals with pain among undergraduate physiotherapy students in Brazil: cross-sectional study
Avaliação do conhecimento sobre neurofisiologia da dor e autopercepção de habilidades para atender indivíduos com dor em graduandos e graduados em fisioterapia no Brasil: estudo transversal
Anne Sofia Souza Pang Bilby; Fernanda Spiller Ceroni; Ione Jayce Ceola Schneider; Heloyse Uliam Kuriki; Alexandre Marcio Marcolino; Rafael Inacio Barbosa
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Approaches to coping with pain, such as patient education, are directly related to the professionals’ skill level. The identification of possible learning gaps in the different stages of training can contribute to the development of new teaching strategies and methods. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the level of knowledge about the neurophysiology of pain and the self-perception of abilities to care for individuals with pain in undergraduate and graduate students in physiotherapy in Brazil.
METHODS: This is a cross-sectional analytical observational study, in which the Neurophysiological Pain Questionnaire (QND) was applied to assess the level of knowledge about the neurophysiology of pain. A self-administered questionnaire was also used to collect sociodemographic data from the sample and to assess self-perception of abilities to care for individuals with pain. The characteristics of the study population were defined by descriptive statistics. For the analysis of QND score distribution and self-perception of abilities to care for individuals with pain, the Shapiro-Wilk test was used. In the bivariate analysis to compare the distribution of the QND score and self-perception of abilities to care for individuals with pain between the stages of undergraduates and schooling after graduation, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used, with a significance level of 5% and 95% confidence interval. The statement Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) was used as a guide for reporting the results of the study.
RESULTS: A total of 306 volunteers participated in the study, 208 undergraduate students (22.3 ± 3.2 years) and 98 physiotherapists (31.7± 8.7 years). The average QND score for undergraduate students was 6.17 and 8.56 for physiotherapists, considering a total of 12 points. There was a significantly higher difference in the scores obtained on the QND by undergraduates in the intermediate phase and in the last year (p<0.05), as well as in the self-perception of abilities to care for individuals with pain and perform a biopsychosocial approach to the patient, between the different phases of the course. However, among physiotherapists, no significant difference was observed in the total QND score, and in the self-perception of abilities to care for individuals with pain.
CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that the level of knowledge about the neurophysiology of pain and self-perception of skills to care for individuals with pain differs between academics and physiotherapy professionals. However, the low QND score of physiotherapy undergraduates, as well as the absence of significant differences in the QND between the different levels of physiotherapist training, suggest that curricular implementation and specific training on pain may be indispensable to increase the level of knowledge and skills of physiotherapists in the treatment of individuals with pain.
Keywords
Resumo
JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Abordagens para o enfrentamento da dor, como educação do paciente, estão diretamente relacionadas ao nível de habilidades dos profissionais. A identificação de possíveis lacunas do aprendizado nas diferentes fases de formação pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de novas estratégias e métodos de ensino. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar e comparar o nível de conhecimento sobre neurofisiologia da dor e a autopercepção de habilidades para atender indivíduos com dor em alunos de graduação e graduados em fisioterapia no Brasil.
MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo observacional analítico do tipo transversal, em que foi aplicado o Questionário Neurofisiológico de Dor (QND) para avaliar o nível de conhecimento sobre neurofisiologia da dor. Também foi utilizado um questionário autoaplicado para coletar os dados sociodemográficos da amostra e avaliar a autopercepção de habilidades para atender indivíduos com dor. As características da população do estudo foram definidas pela estatística descritiva. Para a análise da distribuição do escore QND e da autopercepção de habilidades para atender indivíduos com dor foi utilizado o teste Shapiro-Wilk. Na análise bivariada para a comparação de distribuição do escore QND e da autopercepção de habilidades para atender indivíduos com dor entre as fases dos graduandos e a escolaridade após a formação foi utilizado o teste de Kruskal-Wallis, nível de significância de 5% e intervalo de confiança de 95%. A declaração Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) foi utilizada como guia para relatar os resultados do estudo.
RESULTADOS: Um total de 306 voluntários participaram do estudo, sendo 208 alunos de graduação (22,3 ± 3,2 anos) e 98 fisioterapeutas (31,7± 8,7 anos). A pontuação média do QND para os alunos de graduação foi 6,17 e de 8,56 para os fisioterapeutas, considerando um total de 12 pontos. Observou-se uma diferença significativamente superior na pontuação obtida no QND pelos graduandos da fase intermediária e do último ano (p<0,05), bem como na autopercepção de habilidades para atender indivíduos com dor e realizar uma abordagem biopsicossocial do paciente entre as diferentes fases do curso. Contudo, entre os fisioterapeutas, não foi observada diferença significativa na pontuação total do QND e na autopercepção de habilidades para atender indivíduos com dor.
CONCLUSÃO: Por meio dos achados deste estudo, foi possível observar que o nível de conhecimento sobre neurofisiologia da dor e autopercepção de habilidades para atender indivíduos com dor difere entre acadêmicos e profissionais de fisioterapia. Entretanto, a pontuação baixa do QND dos graduandos de fisioterapia, bem como a ausência de diferenças significativas do QND entre os diferentes níveis de formação dos fisioterapeutas, sugere que a implementação curricular e capacitações específicas sobre dor são indispensáveis para ampliar o nível de conhecimento e habilidades dos fisioterapeutas no tratamento de indivíduos com dor.
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References
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Submitted date:
10/11/2022
Accepted date:
07/18/2023
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