Comprehensive pain management Web site
Offers information for professionals, consumers
Pain management is now a key issue for both patient and health care provider as the media focus more and more attention on the issue. It is especially a hot topic for health care facilities because the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, is set to implement new standards in 2001 for the assessment and management of pain in recognition of patients’ rights.
How can professionals, as well as consumers, stay abreast of the latest information on pain control? The Dannemiller Memorial Educational Foundation in San Antonio created www.pain.com, a comprehensive Web site devoted to pain and pain management for both professionals and pain sufferers. "Our goal is to be the Web site for pain for a health care provider or patient seeking information. They can come to our site and obtain all the information they need," says Ed Dyer, MA, information manager for the Dannemiller Memorial Educational Foundation. The uniqueness of the site is that it is so vast, he says.
Some of the site’s features include a library with over 3,000 articles, case studies, and abstracts that can be searched by author, title, or keyword. Thirty new articles are added each month covering a variety of topics such as "Managing Daily Life When Dealing with Chronic Pain," and "Pharmacologic Treatment of Cancer Pain."
There’s also a pain news column published daily on weekdays with a balance of professional news items and those for chronic pain patients. For example, one news release announced that Temple University Health System in Philadelphia had successfully used a pump called On-Q, which is a new pain management system that drastically decreases post-operative discomfort by providing continuous infusion of a local anesthetic directly into a patient’s operative site.
Health care professionals often can get the answers they need to help their patients who are in pain. "We offer an opportunity through forums and chat rooms for physicians to communicate with each other," says Dyer. If physicians are reluctant to post challenging cases on an open forum, they can use the "Ask the Pain Doctor" column, which is published daily. The credentials of the respondent are published, as well.
A feature aimed at professionals is the 36 hours of free CME/CE credit sponsored by Abbott Laboratories that are available on the site. In addition, there are on-line slide lectures and videos from professional workshops and presentations that keep health care providers up-to-date on pain management, although continuing education credits are not offered for viewing them.
The site has many features that are designed for the consumer. "We list 2,800 pain clinics in the United States, and another 200 worldwide. We list the pain clinics with a disclaimer for we are not endorsing them," says Dyer. A complete pain glossary recently was added to the Web site to help consumers describe their pain and understand the terms their physician uses. Of course, the library is open to consumers so they can research their diagnosis and discuss treatment with their physician as an informed patient.
One feature very popular with consumers is the "Ask Mary" column written by a chronic pain sufferer. She writes articles that address questions consumers have posed. Her role is that of a motivator rather than a medical advisor. Pain.com is continuously evolving as new opportunities to increase knowledge and awareness about pain and its treatment arise. Interviews with experts on back pain, headache pain, or cancer pain are conducted frequently. Several pieces on the Joint Commission’s new standards on pain management recently were added to the site.
For more information about pain.com, contact:
• Ed Dyer, MA, Information Manager, Dannemiller Memorial Educational Foundation, 12500 Network Blvd., Suite 101, San Antonio, TX 78249-3302. Telephone: (800) 328-2308 or (210) 641-8311. Fax: (210) 641-8329 Web site: www.pain.com.
For more information on pain management, contact:
• American Academy of Pain Management, 13947 Mono Way #A, Sonora, CA 95370. Telephone: (209) 533-9744. Fax: (209) 533-9750. Web site: www.aapainmanage.org. The purpose of the organization is to meet the challenges of multidisciplinary pain management.
• American Chronic Pain Association, P.O. Box 850, Rocklin, CA 95677-0900. Telephone: (916) 632-0922. Fax: (916) 632-3208. Web site: www.theacpa.org. This association offers support and information for people with chronic pain.
• The National Foundation for the Treatment of Pain, 1330 Skyline Dr, suite 21, Monterey, CA 93940. Telephone: (831) 655-8812. Fax: (831) 655-2823. Web site: www.paincare.org. A not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing support for patients who are suffering from pain, as well as their families, friends, and the physicians who treat them.
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