September 2006

July 2007

In this issue…

Top Cancer Groups Announce State Pain Policies Evaluation Results

SCPI and ACS to Sponsor Forum on Pain Policy

Events and Continuing Education Opportunities

Ongoing – End of Life Care Education Classes

Save the Date!

Top Cancer Groups Announce State Pain Policies Evaluation Results

Eight U.S. States Improve their Pain Policies in the Past Year Alone

In the second year of their joint program to promote better pain control, the American Cancer Society, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Susan G. Komen for the Cure today released the 2007 Pain and Policy Report Card and Evaluation Guide of state-level pain management policies across the country.

The organizations, which represent the nation’s leading information and advocacy groups for people with cancer, are funding a three-year grant to the Pain & Policy Studies Group (PPSG) at the University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center to examine policies that govern pain management practices for cancer patients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The 2007 report card shows that California and Wisconsin had the greatest grade improvement. Other states whose grades improved from last year were Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. In addition, Kansas and Wisconsin now join Michigan and Virginia as having the most balanced pain policies in the nation.

“These states have laws that are consistent with current medical practice standards and do not impede pain treatment,” said Aaron M. Gilson, PhD, director for U.S. Policy Research at the PPSG. “Also, the licensing agencies in these states encourage healthcare professionals to practice good pain management by making pain relief an expectation of quality patient care and reassure practitioners that treating patients’ pain will not result in disciplinary sanctions.”

Chronic pain is a part of daily life for more than 50 percent of all cancer patients and survivors and for more than 75 percent of those with advanced stages of the disease—figures that have remained unchanged for decades, despite advances in therapeutic options to address pain.

With support from the American Cancer Society, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, PPSG issued a report card last September and will issue another report card in 2008. For more information on the University of Wisconsin’s PPSG (and to view South Carolinas current grade and report details), visit www.painpolicy.wisc.edu.

Press release taken in its entirety.

SCPI and the ACS to Sponsor Forum on State Pain Policy

On September 12th the South Carolina Pain Initiative and the American Cancer Society will host a forum regarding policy that affects pain management and treatment. The meeting will be held in Columbia, SC and will feature speakers June Dahl, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology at the Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and David Woodmansee of the ACS, Government Relations. For more information contact Shannon Johnson at sjohnson@carolinasendoflifecare.org. Please RSVP to tforman@scha.org if you would like to attend.

Events and Continuing Education Opportunities

Satellite Symposium of State Policies Affecting Pain Management: On-line Course

State Policies Affecting Pain Management: Relevance, Progress & Next Steps is the new free CME opportunity being offered on Purdue Pharma’s pain.com and is sponsored by the Dannemiller Memorial Education Center. Educational objectives include:

Define quality of and disparities in state pain policies.
Describe how state policies have changed over time.
Describe how pain treatment for the same patient could differ under current state policies.
Examine methods being used to improve pain policies

The course is presented by Aaron M. Gilson, PhD of the Pain and Policy Research Stuides Group, William Marcus, JD University of California San Diego and Howard A. Heit, MD, FACP, FASAM Chronic Pain Specialist, Assistant Clinical Professor, Georgetown University. The on-line course is open until July 31, 2008.

Ongoing – End of Life Care Education Classes

A nationally recognized curriculum called ELNEC—End of Life Nursing Education Consortium—will be offered through Duke University Health System Education Services to educate staff in end of life care, dying, death and bereavement. The nine-module curriculum was developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the City of Hope Cancer Center. The classes are recommended for all nurses and other health care providers who work with patients and families near the end of life. Classes are scheduled for the third Thursday of each month through August, and most will be 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. For more information call (919) 684-4293 or visit the Duke University Health System Web site.

Save the Date!

ELNEC End of Life Nursing Education Consortium 2007 Courses

Pediatric Palliative

August 1–3

Anaheim, CA - (Disney Paradise Pier Hotel)

ELNEC-Geriatric/Long Term Care

September 12–14

Pasadena, CA

ELNEC-Critical Care

November 7–9

Pasadena, CA

Information: kkelly@coh.org

Forum on State Pain Policy