Integration of Pain Management Competencies in Canadian Physiotherapy Education: A National Survey of Curriculum, Teaching Practices, and Educators’ Perceptions

Purpose: Physiotherapists play an essential role in managing pain, yet inconsistencies in pain management education across Canadian entry-level physiotherapy (PT) programmes raise concerns about student preparedness. The Pain Education in Physiotherapy (PEP) competency profile was developed as a national standard outlining 15 competencies essential for high-quality pain management. This study evaluated how PEP competencies are integrated into Canadian PT curricula, focusing on content, teaching strategies, assessment methods, and educators’ perceptions of student preparedness. Method: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to educators from all 15 Canadian PT programmes. It assessed competency integration, instructional hours, learning outcomes, teaching and assessment strategies, and perceived student preparedness. Closed-ended responses were analyzed descriptively, open-ended responses using conventional content analysis. Results: Fourteen programmes (93%) participated. While most competencies ( n = 11, 73%) were consistently included, advocacy and cultural safety were less frequently addressed. Instructional hours ranged from 1.78 to 19.75 hours per competency. Didactic teaching methods and written assessments predominated; fewer programmes employed interactive strategies, such as simulations. Fewer than 50% of programmes reported students as fully prepared for several competencies. Conclusion: Findings reflect broad integration of the PEP competencies but highlight variability in delivery, emphasizing the need to optimize teaching strategies and explore implementation challenges.