Developed over five years through a federal Department of Health and Aged Care grant, Online Pain Education Network (OPEN) clinical pain management training is intended to reduce variation in care and promote interdisciplinary collaboration. 

Released to coincide with National Pain Week, the training modules are for physiotherapists, GPs, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, pharmacists, medical practitioners, students and others who care for people living with pain. 

Physiotherapist, researcher, lead developer of the training modules and Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2007) Professor Helen Slater FACP says, ‘This is not just another continuing professional development offering—it’s about transforming how we train health professionals by embedding the person’s voice at the heart of pain care.’ 

The fully digital program, which is a direct response to the Australian federal government’s National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management, offers up to 20 hours of continuing professional development and will be accessible nationally and internationally. 

Focus on the lived experience 

The OPEN training modules have been built from the ground up and encompass rigorous interdisciplinary clinical training, underpinned by those with lived experience of people managing pain. 

The huge undertaking makes use of videos, downloadable work sheets and case studies. ‘Rather than just assuming what health professionals need, we went straight to the Australian community—people living with pain and their carers—and asked, “What matters most when you seek help?”’ Helen says.

‘Those insights formed the empirical foundation for the whole program.’ This approach resulted in a guiding framework titled ‘Listen to me, learn from me’, which informed every aspect of the module design. 

The framework ensures that the educational content aligns with what matters most to consumers: person-centred, holistic care that supports long-term self-management. 

APA Titled Pain Physiotherapist and University of Sydney senior lecturer in pain management Dr Duncan Sanders MACP says that what makes this training novel is its co-design with people in pain. 

‘It’s about building a shared language across the healthcare community so that everyone—from the physio to the GP and the psychologist—is on the same page,’ Duncan says.

The OPEN program consists of 15 clinical pain management modules grouped into logical progressions: 

• CPM 1–5—developed by Curtin University, the foundational modules include newly created content as well as adapted material from the internationally respected Essential Pain Management program
• CPM 6–13—developed by the University of Sydney, these focus on preparing clinicians to support self-management using psychologically informed care models
• CPM 14–15—these advanced modules delve into safe and effective medicines prescribing, targeting medical practitioners, nurses and pharmacists through a biopsychosocial lens. 

‘The first modules, CPM 1–5, lay the foundation,’ Duncan says. 

‘Then we move into teaching clinicians how to help people manage their pain themselves and, finally, how to apply these skills in practice to support person-centred care. OPEN is designed so you can integrate what you’ve learned into your everyday clinical care.’

Interactive elements, including real-life video stories from people in pain, quizzes, downloadable work sheets and clinical case studies, make the modules practical and engaging, Helen and Duncan say. 

Cross-discipline appeal 

A key feature of the OPEN program is that it is interdisciplinary and non-discipline-specific by design. 

‘It’s about creating a common language and shared understanding,’ Helen says. 

‘While physios, for example, are a core part of the care team, the training doesn’t silo knowledge by profession. It acknowledges that pain care is best delivered as a team. 

‘This means the modules are useful whether you’re early in your career or an experienced practitioner looking to update your knowledge. They offer scalable, foundational skills that anyone can use.’ 

Despite its breadth, the online program doesn’t aim to replace existing discipline-specific pain training such as the APA’s Pain Physiotherapy Level 1 and 2 courses. 

Rather, it is intended to complement and enhance existing education, Duncan says. 

Australia and beyond 

Despite one in five Australians aged 45 and over living with chronic pain, which costs the economy around $139 billion annually, training in pain management across professions remains inconsistent and often inadequate. 

‘We mapped current pain training against international curricula and found big gaps,’ Duncan says. 

‘For example, many programs focus heavily on physiology but not on person-centred care or self-management strategies. We had to address that.’ 

OPEN training modules fill that gap, Duncan says, by offering a validated, accessible and evidence-informed pathway that strengthens health professionals’ confidence in delivering contemporary pain care. 

While the program is set to be made available in Australia this month, the team behind it—which includes Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2017) and researcher Professor Peter O’Sullivan FACP, Helen, Professor Michael Nicholas, Professor Andrew Briggs, Dr Rob Schütze, Duncan, Dr Simone De Morgan, Dr Roger Goucke, Associate Professor Elizabeth Devonshire, Professor Fiona Blyth, Associate Professor Paul Wrigley and Dr Simon Holliday—is already looking to release it internationally. 

‘There’s strong interest from Asia and elsewhere,’ Helen says. ‘Because it’s digital, we can roll it out globally—with some cultural and language tweaks.’ 

This means that lower- and middle-income countries can have access to high-quality interdisciplinary pain management training. 

Keeping the content current is also a priority. 

‘We need to be responsive to new research while ensuring that any changes from the expert consortium overseeing the review of the training content are based on high-quality evidence and remain faithful to lived-experience voices,’ Helen says.

In Australia the program is being released under a not-for-profit model, with a minimal cost to users. 

‘Anything above cost recovery goes straight back into pain research or supporting the community,’ Helen says. 

In addition to the funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care, there was philanthropic support from TDM Growth Partners and Hearts and Minds Investments, which backed the digitisation aspects of the program and is supporting the social enterprise.

‘The scale of this project is enormous,’ Duncan says. ‘We’ve spent many weekends and late nights putting it together because we believe in its value.’ 

Helen says the team is very excited to release the program to users, adding, ‘If we can improve care for people with pain, that’s a win for everyone.’ 

OPEN officially launches on 25 July at New South Wales Parliament House. 

To access the learning modules click here.