Site gives free pain management sources
Do you want to improve pain management in your ED? Massachusetts General Hospital’s "MGH Cares About Pain Relief Initiative" site offers a wealth of free resources, including current recommendations, accreditation standards, and more.
By clicking on "Guidelines," you can access more than a dozen pain management guidelines or policy statements from the American Pain Society, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the American Geriatric Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
By subscribing to the "Pain Relief Connection" monthly e-mail newsletter, you can access pain-related news such as new products, safety information, journal articles, and patient resources. "Anyone can subscribe to it or read it on-line," says Thomas Quinn, project director.
The resources can help you comply with requirements from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) for assessment and management of pain, adds Quinn. "Pain is still a significant issue for the JCAHO, and they are still looking hard at this," he says. "If during a patient tracer, surveyors don’t see a pain assessment or follow-up done in the ED, then they will dig further."
The Joint Commission also requires that information is provided to patients and their families about pain management, adds Quinn. At Massachusetts General, a "Pledge to Patients" promises that pain will be taken seriously.
"In the ED, very frequently the presenting complaint is pain," says Quinn. "Once the patient says they have pain, an appropriate assessment has to be done, and the pain must be managed."
Vital Signs
Site: MGH Cares About Pain Relief Initiative
Address: www.massgeneral.org/painrelief
Contact: Thomas Quinn, Project Director, MGH Cares About Pain Relief, Massachusetts General Hospital, Founders 605, Boston, MA 02114. Telephone: (617) 726-0746. E-mail: [email protected].
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