June 23, 2006

Pain management resources available

Some patients experience significant pain when they are in the hospital or as outpatients but may not always know how to communicate the extent of their pain with their caregivers. The goal of the MGH's Pain Relief program is for clinicians to assess patients' pain and its effects and to offer pain-related care. Pain-related resources now are available to all clinicians with the introduction of pain care posters, patient brochures, pocket guides and an online information "toolbox" located at intranet.massgeneral.org/paintoolbox/.

"We have many resources to help clinicians evaluate and offer treatment for patients who are experiencing pain," says Thomas Quinn, RN, MSN, program director for MGH Cares About Pain Relief. "These resources are meant to help open a dialogue between patients and their caregivers about the extent of the pain experience and how it can be treated. We hope these resources make it easier for clinicians to provide the best possible care for their patients."

Pain management also is a requirement of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), which is scheduled to survey the MGH some time this year. JCAHO requires that all hospitals have an established pain management program and offer education to patients and staff about pain assessment and management.

Some of the pain management resources located on the toolbox website include MGH clinical policies and guidelines; information on how to make referrals to the Pain Management Center or Palliative Care Services; pain medication information; patient information to help cope with pain; and pain assessment instruments such as the Wong-Baker FACES scale. MGHers also can find more information about pain management in the Pain Resources Manual available in all inpatient and some outpatient areas, by visiting the Pain Relief website at www.massgeneral.org/painrelief/ or by contacting the unit-based clinical nurse specialists, Pain Relief Champions and the Pain Service advance practice clinicians.