The challenge
Unlike short-term pain, chronic pain can continue long after an injury has healed or without an obvious cause. It affects 1 in 5 Australians, significantly impacting quality of life and productivity. The economic burden is projected to rise from $139 billion in 2018 to $215.6 billion by 2050.
Introducing OPEN
Many healthcare professionals lack consistent training in non-drug, person-centred pain management approaches. To help address this gap, funding from Hearts & Minds, as nominated by TDM Growth Partners, helped establish OPEN (Online Pain Education Network), a not-for-profit social enterprise focused on developing evidence-based pain education materials, the first of its kind in Australia. OPEN was created in collaboration with the University of Sydney, Curtin University, and the Australian Pain Society.
Read TDM Growth Partners’ case study, Changing the story of chronic pain, to learn more about the development of OPEN. In short, OPEN was designed as a platform to:
- Develop new education resources for healthcare professionals and people living with pain
- Support vital pain research in a sustainable way, which is often difficult to attract funding for
- Foster greater collaboration across the pain sector
OPEN’s operating costs are underwritten by philanthropic contributions from the TDM Foundation, via collaboration with HM1, and the Pain Foundation. This ensures proceeds from the sale of educational materials can be reinvested directly into advancing OPEN’s mission and furthering research into chronic pain.
The program
The OPEN Clinical Pain Management Training Program is a self-paced online training program developed by leading pain clinicians, providing healthcare professionals with practical, evidence-based skills to better support Australians living with chronic pain. It’s suitable for GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, pharmacists and other allied health professionals.
Since launching enrolments in October 2025, OPEN has established itself as Australia's leading interdisciplinary pain education platform, with significant growth, sector recognition and national reach. The program brings together practical tools, interdisciplinary strategies, and real-world perspectives that can be used at the point of care for better access to pain care.
“Early feedback from the program showed strong engagement from healthcare professionals across Australia and New Zealand. Participants reported high overall satisfaction and reported that OPEN was relevant to clinical practice (93%), addressed their learning needs (90%) and improved their confidence to manage patients experiencing chronic pain (93%). Most participants (91%) intended to change their practice due to participation in OPEN.”
By equipping healthcare professionals with practical, evidence-based skills, the OPEN Training Program is helping improve pain management and patient outcomes across Australia. For more information, please visit the Open Pain Education Network.
This project is supported by Hearts & Minds, as nominated by Core Fund Manager, TDM Growth Partners.
