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LIFE BEFORE DEATH #12 -- Back to School

Posted by Greg Schneider on August 8, 2011 at 8:46pm
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"Back to School" Short Film 12 of 50 in the LIFE Before Death documentary series about the global crisis in untreated pain and the dramatic life changing effect palliative care services can deliver to patients and their families around the world. In this Short Film we discover that pain education is a not a priority for medical schools in many parts of the world. Professor Joan Marston (South Africa) reflects; "If you don't have doctors and nurses who are adequately trained in pain management and how to use the drugs... it doesn't matter how much morphine you've got in the country -- it's not going to get to the patients." "When the Institute of Medicine reviewed why we had so much difficulty in providing palliative care and providing access to pain relief," states Dr Kathleen Foley (USA), "The report began 'we've identified the problem and it's us' IE the health care professionals." "Pain has never been a priority in the training of medical schools and nursing schools, "continues Dr Cynthia Goh (Singapore). Dr MR Rajagopal (India) explains how medical students in his hometown of Trivandrum graduate without having seen a single tablet of oral morphine. We see Dr Rajagopal challenging students from Trivandrum Medical College; "Do you think there is something lacking from our medical education?" Dr Natalya Dinat (South Africa) reflects on testimony from a peer proudly pronouncing that the ward they oversee in a large hospital in Johannesburg is "morphine sparing." Liliana de Lima (Colombia) reports ; "When you look at what curriculums are out there for physicians and nurses, they are getting very little training if anything, and most of the countries do not even address the issue of pain evaluation." Dr Rajagopal reiterates a key principle during a nurse training session in Trivandrum, "This is the most important definition that we have: 'Pain is what a patient says hurts'." Dr Anne Merriman (Ireland) continues; "In every country I've been into the doctors are the biggest opposition, particularly the senior ones who have been trained that morphine is addictive and they think we're making addicts out of everybody." "I personally was afraid of using morphine when I started my internal medicine residency," admits Dr Sophia Bunge (Argentina), "As if it was a really scary drug to use but it turns out it was really easy." "If all the physicians at least have some basic training on how to do appropriate pain assessment," concludes Liliana de Lima, "I think that would make a difference." Featuring Professor Joan Marston (South Africa), Dr Kathleen Foley (USA), Dr Cynthia Goh (Singapore), Dr MR Rajagopal (India), Dr Natalya Dinat (South Africa), Liliana de Lima (Colombia), Dr Anne Merriman (Ireland), Dr Sophia Bunge (Argentina). LIFE Before Death comprises 50 short films themed around pain control and end of life issues, releasing one a week for a year from May 2011. A feature film will be released in late 2011, followed by the release of a television documentary in early 2012. The project is presented by the Lien Foundation and produced by Moonshine Movies. It is also supported by The International Association for the Study of Pain, The Mayday Fund, The Union for International Cancer Control and The Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice International Programs. To Learn More visit www.TreatThePain.com

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  • Greg Schneider August 8, 2011 at 8:53pm
    This film in the LIFE BEFORE DEATH series discusses an issue that is not uncommon to those who are hospice workers in the U.S.  While medical schools in the U.S. are changing and educating new physicians on pain management and the care of the dying, there are many places in the world that have not begun to offer such training.
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