The Network Project: a multidisciplinary cancer education and training program in pain management, rehabilitation, and psychosocial issues.

Despite recent advances in cancer pain management and education, the undertreatment of cancer pain remains a national health problem. In response to the need for interdisciplinary education and training, we have developed "The Network Project" at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. This program includes a 2-week observership in cancer pain management, psychosocial oncology, and cancer rehabilitation. The efficacy of the Network Project Observership Program was evaluated with the use of a knowledge and attitude inventory which contains questions pertaining to cancer pain, psychosocial oncology, and cancer rehabilitation, and follow-up questionnaires completed one year after participation in the program. The knowledge and attitude inventory was completed by each participant both before and after the observership period. Analysis of the 152 observers who participated in the first 3 years of the Network Project's Observership Program demonstrated a significant improvement in knowledge of cancer pain, psychosocial issues, and rehabilitation issues (P < 0.0001). In addition, observers reported a significant increase in their local educational and training activities in the year following participation in the Network Project (P < 0.01). The Network Project, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is an interdisciplinary, multimodal training program which has been demonstrated to be an effective means for improving and disseminating knowledge regarding the multidisciplinary management of pain and psychological distress in cancer patients.