NIH Pain Consortium Symposium to Highlight Whole Person Health Approach for Pain Management on June 1st and 2nd
This year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pain Consortium Annual Symposium on Advances in Pain Research will focus on “Pain Management Through the Lens of Whole Person Health.”
The program’s diverse group of speakers and panelists will apply a whole person perspective to pain conditions along the spectrum of translational science, from the biological basis to multicomponent interventions and treatment that will ultimately improve patient outcomes. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) are leading the 17th annual symposium.
The program features:
- Keynotes from Tracy Gaudet, MD, who will speak on “Transforming Healthcare to Whole Health: What Can It Mean for Pain Management?” and from Ruth Wolever, PhD, of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Vanderbilt, who will speak on “The Value of Deconstructing Experience to Discover the Whole Person.”
- Panel sessions that will focus on: the complexity of pain and comorbidities; integration of whole person tools and approaches; and, implementation of whole person approaches to pain management.
The symposium will be held virtually on Wednesday, June 1 and Thursday, June 2. The public is welcome to attend, though registration is necessary. Registration, which is free, will remain open until the symposium reaches capacity.
CMS Releases Updated Behavioral Health Strategy with Focus on Pain Care
CMS recently published an updated Behavioral Health Strategy that outlines five major goals related to access to prevention and treatment services for substance use disorders, mental health services, crisis intervention and pain care, and enabling care that is well-coordinated and effectively integrated. According to CMS, the Strategy seeks to remove barriers to care and services, to adopt a data-informed approach to evaluate our behavioral health programs and policies, and to support a person’s whole emotional and mental well-being and promotes person-centered behavioral health care.
Ensuring effective pain treatment and management is the third goal listed within the Strategy, with CMS stating that it strives to:
- Improve the care experience for individuals with acute and chronic pain to identify strategic opportunities for enhanced access to high quality, equitable, affordable whole-person care.
- Expand access to evidence-based treatments for acute and chronic pain, including through guidance to states, exploration of new coverage pathways, and sharing practices that ensure individualized, effective care.
- Increase coordination between primary and specialty care through payment episodes, incentives, and care and payment models.
- Expand workforce capacity and capability including options for training residents and clinicians in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic pain.
AHRQ Releases New Systematic Review on Opioid Treatments for Chronic Pain
In light of information contained in three surveillance reports that have been compiled since April 2020, AHRQ has released an update of its systematic review on Opioid Treatments for Chronic Pain. The report shares a number of key findings, including that, at short-term follow-up, evidence showed no differences between opioids versus non-opioid medications in improved pain, function, mental health status, sleep, or depression.
This review is a part of AHRQ’s larger collection on treatments for chronic pain, which also includes Nonopioid Pharmacologic Treatments for Chronic Pain and Noninvasive Nonpharmacologic Treatment for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review Update. Each report is being updated with three literature searches completed since the reports were originally posted—the opioid review has completed it’s third literature search and is now complete.
CDC Releases Resources for Understanding and Treating Sickle Cell Disease
CDC has developed an extensive and resource-heavy webpage to help providers better understand and treat the many symptoms and complications of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). As pain is the most common complication of SCD, and the top reason people with SCD go to the emergency department or hospital, the resources include opioid information for SCD patients, a daily pain tracking sheet, and information about pain in the emergency room or hospital setting. The website also discusses when pain may indicate a more severe problem, such as blood clots, avascular necrosis, dactylitis, leg ulcers, liver problems, and more.
Virtual Summer Camp for Teens Living with Pain Accepting Registrations
Creative Healing for Youth in Pain (CHYP) will be holding their third annual Virtual Summer Camp for teens (ages 13-18) during the weeks of July 11th and 18th. Teenagers living with pain are invited to join CHYP for fun group activities led by guest artists and social time with peers who understand. Virtual Summer Camp is held via half days on Zoom so that teens may attend from the comfort of their own homes.
The cost for this two-week summer camp is $250. To secure a spot, please register by July 1st by emailing admin@mychyp.org.