Target Audience

The educational design of this activity addresses the needs of primary care providers (PCPs) involved in the assessment, diagnosis, initial treatment, and ongoing management of patients with chronic pain.

Statement of Need/Program Overview

The prevalence and deleterious consequences of chronic pain have prompted the United States Institute of Medicine to declare pain to be a major health crisis.1 A multifaceted disorder of the peripheral and central nervous systems, chronic pain impairs patient function, including affective, cognitive, physical, and occupational domains.2,3 At least 100 million adult Americans suffer from chronic pain, which results in significant medical expenses and costs related to lost productivity.1,2 Evidence-based education on the inflammatory and neurologic mechanisms underlying various chronic pain syndromes will allow clinicians to better assess and treat their patients.4 Timely diagnosis is critical, although the subjective and dynamic character of chronic pain can complicate assessment and management, particularly in the time constraints of a typical primary care visit. Moreover, the patient-specific biologic, psychological, and social factors that shape the pain experience necessitate clinician familiarity with the full landscape of analgesic therapies, referring to specialists and coordinating care, when necessary.3,4 This program focuses on best practices approaches to comprehensive pain evaluations, physical examinations, and multimodal treatment strategies that can be used to manage common chronic pain conditions, including low back pain, osteoarthritis, and peripheral neuropathies.

References

  1. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2011.
  2. McCarberg BH, Nicholson BD, Todd KH, Palmer T, Penles L. The impact of pain on quality of life and the unmet needs of pain management: results from pain sufferers and physicians participating in an Internet survey. Am J Ther. 2008;15:312-320.
  3. Gatchel RJ, Peng YB, Peters ML, Fuchs PN, Turk DC. The biopsychosocial approach to chronic pain: scientific advances and future directions. Psychol Bull. 2007;133:581-624.
  4. Woolf CJ. Pain: moving from symptom control toward mechanism-specific pharmacologic management. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:441-451.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

  • Evaluate the role of central sensitization across various chronic pain conditions
  • Assess patients for the full range of patient-specific determinants of chronic pain and associated functional disability
  • Prescribe and tailor pharmacologic regimens for chronic pain to maximize analgesia and functional gains and minimize adverse effects
  • Combine pharmacologic and psychosocial therapies for chronic pain to address the full range of biopsychosocial symptoms and target functional goals
  • Educate patients about the importance of therapeutic adherence and active participation in chronic pain treatment

Faculty

Michael J. Brennan, MD
Medical Director, Pain Center of Fairfield
Fairfield, Connecticut
Senior Attending Physician, Department of Medicine
Bridgeport Hospital
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Associate Director, Chronic Pain and Rehabilitation Center
Silver Hill Hospital
New Canaan, Connecticut

Physician Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas Communications. Global is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Physician Credit Designation

Global Education Group designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Global Contact Information

For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact Global at 303-395-1782 or inquire@globaleducationgroup.com.

Instructions for Obtaining Credit

In order to receive credit, participants must complete the preactivity questionnaire, posttest, and program evaluation. Participants must also score at least a 70% on the posttest.

For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact Global at 303-395-1782 or inquire@globaleducationgroup.com

System Requirements

PC
Microsoft Windows 2000 SE or above.
Flash Player Plugin (v7.0.1.9 or greater)
Internet Explorer (v5.5 or greater), or Firefox

MAC
MAC OS 10.2.8
Flash Player Plugin (v7.0.1.9 or greater)
Safari

Fee Information & Refund/Cancellation Policy

There is no fee for this educational activity.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Global Education Group (Global) requires instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals and their spouses/life partners who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly vetted by Global for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Michael Brennan, MD
Consultant/Independent Contractor to Covidien, Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., Purdue Pharma L.P., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.; Honoraria  from Covidien, Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., INSYS Therapeutics, Inc., Pfizer Inc., Purdue Pharma L.P., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Ashley Marostica, RN, MSN
Nothing to disclose.

Amanda Glazar, PhD
Nothing to disclose.

Jim Kappler, PhD
Nothing to disclose.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas Communications do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization associated with this activity. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of patient conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

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