AACIPM’s First Symposium Builds Deeper “Community” Among Important Leaders

Leveraging Shared Interest in Advancing Person-Centered Pain Management

On May 13-14, 2020, AACIPM facilitated its first online symposium titled, Innovation & Progress in Person-Centered Pain Management. Over 950 individuals who represented different stakeholder interests, registered for the symposium and about half of those participated across the two days. This symposium included 45 exceptional panelists across the two days. We were so pleased to see the strong retention of viewers over the 8 hours (4 hours on each day), and active engagement through the Zoom Webinar Q&A and Chat features.

Connecting the Dots

A Growing Community of Leaders, Influencers, and Decision-Makers

AACIPM is a grant-funded initiative with a fiscal sponsor, not a separate organization with competing priorities. AACIPM grows stronger as previously unconnected stakeholders unify and align around the shared interest to increase access to comprehensive integrative pain management (CIPM). Each of us plays an important role in this complex puzzle and AACIPM will continue to connect the dots so that coordination of efforts ultimately leads to integration and alignment of key efforts.  Although the concept of alignment and integration is simple, the practical side of galvanizing leaders, influencers and decision-makers around shared goals happens one conversation and one activity at a time.

Patient Engagement Spotlight: Angel & Kalind Perry

Finding comprehensive integrative pain management (CIPM) is as elusive as the prince finding his real princess who could feel the pea under the twenty mattresses! We are so grateful for the opportunity to share our lived experiences with the many stakeholders who joined us at the AACIPM Virtual Symposium (click video below to view the recording).

While we recounted our experiences from WTF to WOW, our stories continue. The quest persists. In this conversation, we’ll share with you what has worked for us, where we are now, and what we see as our tasks going forward. 

Recordings Available and New Webinars Coming Soon

You can access the recordings of all the symposium sessions at the button below – note that some are now available, and others will be uploaded soon.  Be sure to complete the very short survey (5-10 minutes) after you’ve watched even just one recording – this is how we gather input for future webinar topics and other details. Also, watch your inbox for announcements on upcoming webinars on topics of interest.

Your Feedback and Engagement Really Matters

“This was the best-run online webinar I have participated in, and I’ve participated in many over the years. It’s like AACIPM has set up a new base camp on the way to Mount Everest!” — Lt. General (Retired) Eric Schoomaker, an AACIPM Advisory Committee member

“I’m not sure how it happened, but I actually felt like I was part of a real community during the symposium. I missed the hallway conversations that happen at an in-person meeting, but was amazed at the sense of connectedness in this online format.” — Feedback from a presenter

AACIPM will leverage this positive impact and will keep moving forward to advance comprehensive integrative pain management through this multi-stakeholder collaborative work. Please take 5-10 minutes to complete this short survey.  We will use your feedback as a gauge to understand your interests in future offerings and activities.

Announcements

Management of Acute and Chronic Pain: Request for Comment
 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the opening of a docket to obtain comments on pain management from patients, their family members or caregivers, and health care providers who care for people with pain. Written comments must be received on or before June 16, 2020.

COVID-19 support registry developed for integrative practitioners

 
Integrative and complementary medicine practitioners are among those providing supportive care during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To help track these efforts, the National University of Natural Medicine with leadership from its Helfgott Research Institute in Portland, Oregon, established a Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Health and Medicine COVID-19 Support Registry. Read more here

AACIPM at Work

AACIPM Leaders to Present at NASW Conference June 17

The topic at the National Association of Social Workers 2020 National Conference is Best Practices at the Intersection of Pain Management, Opioid Use and Mental Health.  This 90-minute panel presentation on June 17 in the afternoon will include AACIPM Advisory Committee member, Adam Seidner, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, The Hartford; Yvette Colón, PhD, ACSW, LMSW, Associate Professor, Eastern Michigan University School of Social Work; and Amy Goldstein, MSW, Director, AACIPM.

Brief abstract: Key to stemming the nation’s opioid challenges is advancing evidence-based, patient-centered Comprehensive Integrative Pain Management for people with pain. Decades of data demonstrate the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary approach to pain. Pain is complex and requires individualized care; to make a difference, policy, assessment, and intervention changes are necessary. Understanding the social worker role is essential to advocating and caring for people with pain. 

Relevant Reading

• From migraines to asthma to shingles: The physical toll coronavirus-related stress takes on your body and how to combat it, CNN Health, May 14
• Mastering care coordination, Medical Economics, May 12
• Health care reform: How it would affect physicians, Medical Economics, May 10
• ‘Is your pain tolerable?’ Asking may result in less risky pain management, Healio, May 8
• Opioid Induced Hyperalgesia, a Research Phenomenon or a Clinical Reality? Results of a Canadian Survey, J Pers Med, April 21

Resources

• NEW! Anesth Analg – Emergence From the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Care of Chronic Pain: Guidance for the Interventionalist
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) – Effective Health Care Program
• American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) – Pain Treatment Guidelines
• Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) – Pain Management Toolkit
• HHS – HHS Guide for Clinicians on the Appropriate Dosage Reduction or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Analgesics (Download the PDF)
• NCIPM – Breathing Techniques for Pain, Stress, Asthma, Anxiety and More
• painTRAINER – Interactive, online program based on scientific research
• HealthFlix Online – Self-isolate without isolating yourself

Message from the Director

I am full of appreciation for all the presenters, advisors, sponsors, participants, and team members who made AACIPM’s first symposium a great success. More opportunities to leverage the shared interests among stakeholders continue to unfold as each of you are taking the time to listen, learn and share.  I’ve heard many positive comments including several mentions about the impact of the patient stories shared by Angel and Kalind Perry.  Please be sure to read their spotlight above as they further describe their journeys with accessing CIPM in practical terms.  Each of us plays an important role in this complex puzzle and AACIPM will continue to connect the dots so that coordination of efforts ultimately leads to integration and alignment of key efforts.  We are developing new webinars and resources that will be useful across the stakeholders interested in advancing this cultural shift in pain management – stay tuned for more coming soon!

Onward and Upward!
Amy