SPOTLIGHT

AACIPM Releases Brief on Pediatric Pain to Raise Awareness for this Underserved Population

In an effort to combat the dual crises of undertreated chronic pain, which affects one in four children and adolescents worldwide, and a national emergency in children’s mental health, AACIPM has developed Pediatric Pain: Promoting Access to Whole Person, Multimodal Pain Management for Children and Adolescents.

The new resource, available both as a webpage and a printable handout, aims to explain the connection between chronic pain and mental health, how these health issues can affect children into adulthood, and makes the case for increased utilization of Whole Person care for children living with pain. Most importantly, the resource contains: extensive evidence-based tools and educational opportunities for health care providers; care options and support groups for patients and families; and, evidentiary support that can be used when discussing this issue with policymakers.

Action Requested by End of 2022: Please Review, Offer Feedback, and Send Suggestions for Expert Presenters for Future Webinar on Topic

In the spirit of continued collaboration and inclusivity, we ask for your thoughtful feedback so that we can identify opportunities to connect more dots to raise awareness and advance better care for our children, adolescents and teens. 

AACIPM Webinar: Innovation in Equitable, Whole Person, Multimodal Pain Management

October 3, 2022
11:00-12:30 PM CDT

Register Now for AACIPM’s Webinar and Please Share:

In recognition of September being Pain and Self Care Awareness Month, AACIPM is launching a new series about innovation and progress. The first session in this series – Innovation in Equitable, Whole Person, Multimodal Pain Management – will focus on advancements in multimodal pain care from the perspective of:

• people with pain,
• public and private insurers,
• purchasers of healthcare,
• healthcare providers,
• researchers

We will explore new data and evidence that highlights equity imbalance, and hear about action to address these challenges. Register Now for this unique 90-minute webinar.

National Updates

CDC Issues Clinical Considerations for Pain Management of Monkeypox
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidance for healthcare professionals providing care for people with monkeypox pertaining to pain management, as pain is a common symptom of the monkeypox virus infection. Intended as an aid for healthcare facilities and professionals developing plans for monkeypox treatment, the resource has information related to both topical and systemic strategies for that can be tailored to the individual needs of each patient.

CMS Releases New Booklet Outlining Chronic Care Management Services
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released an informational booklet outlining the changes to its Chronic Care Management Services. Changes include:

• Beginning in 2022, Rural Health Clinics (FHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) can bill Chronic Care Management (CCM) and Transitional Care Management (TCM) services for the same patient during the same period.
• Five new codes have been added to report staff-provided Principal Care Management (PCM) services provided under physician supervision.
• Related to billing for each additional 20 minutes of clinical staff time related to CCM services, code G2058 was replaced with 99439.

CMS has also released its annual update to Medicare & You: The Official U.S. Government Medicare Handbook (2023).

Federal Funds Available Related to Pain Management and Telehealth Research
The federal government is currently a number of pain-related research initiatives:

• Notice of Special Interest: High Priority Pain Research. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is inviting applications to focus on pain-related research topic areas that include remotely delivered interventions.

HEAL Initiative: Prevention and Management of Chronic Pain in Rural Populations. This funding opportunity encourages phased cooperative research applications to accelerate implementation of effective non-opioid interventions for chronic pain management in rural and remote populations.

ICYMI: PCORI Seeks Applications and Nominations for Advisory Panels
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will continue to accept applications and nominations until March 31, 2023 for its five Advisory Panels:

• Clinical Effectiveness and Decision Science
• Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research
• Patient Engagement
• Clinical Trials
• Rare Disease

Massachusetts Pain Initiative Annual Pain Symposium

October 13 | 9:45am-3:30pm ET | Webinar

Featuring:

The NIH HEAL Initiative: Combining the Power of Science and Community
Keynote speaker – Dr. Rebecca G. Baker, PhD, NIH HEAL Initiative Director

Continuing Education credits available. See registration page for details.

IM4US Job Opening – Deadline October 11

An organization that is dear to AACIPM is Integrative Medicine for the Underserved. They are bold in their focus to improve quality care for all and are looking for an interim director who can continue their positive momentum.

You can find more specifics, including compensation, at the button below. Please share with anyone who might be interested.

Message from the Director

Although the official month for Pain and Self Care Awareness is drawing to a close, we at AACIPM are just heating up! This issue kicks off two exciting new resources that are first of many more.  

One is our new educational advocacy brief about pediatric pain, an underserved and often forgotten population that absolutely needs a comprehensive integrative approach to pain management. 

We’re also excited to highlight the first no-cost webinar in our 2022-23 series about innovation and progress to advance evidence-based, whole person, multimodal pain care. This all-star list of panelists is not to be missed – register now!

Please look through the whole issue to see much more including national updates and other relevant announcements.  Looking forward to seeing many of you soon!

Onward and Upward!
Amy

Relevant Reading

Long COVID Has Forced a Reckoning for One of Medicine’s Most Neglected Diseases, The Atlantic, September 26

Chronic fatigue syndrome linked to almost 200 genetic variants, NewScientist, September 23

The effectiveness of dry needling in patients with chronic low back pain: a prospective, randomized, single-blinded study, Scientific Reports, September 22

HHS Delivers First National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, HHS, September 21

Long COVID Experts and Advocates Say the Government Is Ignoring ‘the Greatest Mass-Disabling Event in Human History’, Time, September 19

Study finds connection between symptomatic COVID-19 infection and impaired pain modulation, Medical Xpress, September 7

Chronic Pain Management in Older Adults: A Systematic Review, Practical Pain Management, September 3