National Pain Strategy

National Pain Strategy PAINS Collaborators Meeting Recap – COMMUNITY PAIN CENTER

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National Pain Strategy PAINS Collaborators Meeting Recap

By Barby Ingle, Power of Pain Foundation President

On June 29 and 30, 2015, the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy (PAINS), a group of over 100 pain collaborators and stakeholders, came together in Washington DC to discuss the National Pain Strategy (NPS). The purpose was to provide attendees an opportunity to discuss the NPS and find areas of agreement on next steps, collaborations, priorities, and to hold accountable those responsible for implementation.As the president of the Power of Pain Foundation, I was invited to participate. I went into the meeting with some preconceived notions based on little happening since the Institute of Medicine’s report in 2011 and didn’t expect much to be accomplished. To my great surprise, the meeting exceeded my expectations. I left the meeting feeling that a path toward implementation of stronger access to care issues was clarified as a result of the meeting. I am excited to be one of the attendees present that will be helping move a chronic pain agenda forward, making a difference in the lives of those living with pain.The goals of the meeting were to encourage collaboration among key pain community leaders, to promote the NPS report and build enthusiasm for it, and to facilitate conversations about how to move forward to implementation of the strategy outlined in the report.For me, the meeting clarified the path ahead for the NPS in terms of priorities,implementation, next steps, funding,leadership and accountability. One of the unintended outcomes from the meeting was the consensus to support the messaging of the Chronic Pain Advocacy Task Force (CPATF). The CPATF is a group of 17 consumer advocacy groups convened by the State Pain Policy Action Network (SPPAN), which is a program of the American Academy of Pain Management (AAPM). As a founding member of the CPATF and the representative of one of the 17 groups involved, I was very proud to see that our work was recognized by this larger group of collaborators and stakeholders. As agreed upon, the core messages are: Chronic pain is a real and complex disease that may exist by itself or be linked with other medical conditions.Chronic pain is both an under-recognized and under-resourced public health crisis with devastating personal and economic impact. Effective chronic pain care requires access to a wide range of treatment options, including biomedical, behavioral health and complementary treatment. Denying appropriate care to people with chronic pain is unethical and can lead to unnecessary suffering, depression, disability, and even suicide.

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Source: National Pain Strategy PAINS Collaborators Meeting Recap – COMMUNITY PAIN CENTER

National Pain Strategy Chat #NPSChat- Review

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The first National Pain Strategy Chat was held on September 29, 2015. Hosted by the Power of Pain Foundation with formal guest speakers Bob Twillman, Executive Director of the American Academy of Pain Management, Lynn R Webster VP of Scientific Affairs, PRA HS, Former President of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, Author of The Painful Truth and Christin Veasley, founding member of the Chronic Pain Research Alliance, whose mission is to advance scientific research on prevalent, neglected and poorly understood pain disorders that frequently co-occur and disproportionately affect women.

#NPSChat Hosted by the Power of Pain Foundation

“The Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS) asked the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC) to oversee creation of this resultant National Pain Strategy. Guided and coordinated by an oversight panel, expert working groups explored six important areas of need identified in the IOM recommendations—population research, prevention and care, disparities, service delivery and reimbursement, professional education and training, and public awareness and communication. The working groups comprised people from a broad array of relevant public and private organizations, including health care providers, insurers, and people with pain and their advocates.”

Excerpt from EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page 3.

National Pain Strategy
A Comprehensive Population Health-Level Strategy for Pain

http://iprcc.nih.gov/docs/DraftHHSNationalPainStrategy.pdf

Attendee’s included but are not limited to, Women in Pain (@forgrace), Gina Salminen (@gnsalminen), American Academy of Pain Management (@AAPainManage), PAINS Project (@PAINSProject), The Pain Community (@PainComm), Fibro and Pain (@FibroAndPain), US Pain Foundation (@US_Pain), State Pain Policy Advocacy Network SPPAN (@SPPAN1), The American Chronic Pain Association (@ACPA), Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Association RSDSA (@RSDSA), Community Pain Center (@Our_CPC), Bob Twillman (@BobTwillman), Lynn Webster (@LynnRWebster), Christin Veasley (@CPRAlliance_org), Power of Pain Foundation (@powerofpain), Barby Ingle (@barbyingle), Consumer Pain Advocacy Task Force CPATF http://consumerpainadvocacy.org/twitter-chat/

The Chat Transcript is available at:

The Consumer Pain Advocacy Task Force CPATF

Direct link to PDF

http://consumerpainadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Twitter-Chat-9-29-2015-CPATF-Transcript-Final1.pdf

http://consumerpainadvocacy.org/twitter-chat/   http://consumerpainadvocacy.org/

The Interagency Pain Research Coordinatiing Committee-  National Pain Strategy

http://iprcc.nih.gov/National_Pain_Strategy/NPS_Main.htm

Solicitation of Public Comments on Draft National Pain Strategy
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health

http://iprcc.nih.gov/National_Pain_Strategy/Public_Comment_NPS_Draft.htm

National Pain Strategy
A Comprehensive Population Health-Level Strategy for Pain

http://iprcc.nih.gov/docs/DraftHHSNationalPainStrategy.pdf

Overview of the NPS Planning Process and Major Elements by Sean Mackey –

Presented at the NPS Collaborators Meeting Convened by PAINS – June 29, 2015

http://www.painsproject.org/overview-nps-planning-process/

While I participated to send out Questions, and re-share answers, I used the opportunity to listen instead of voice any thought at this time.

In closing, The Power of Pain Foundation asked – We’ve covered quite a bit today. Would you be interested in a future chat about NPS—if yes, on what? #CPATF #NPSChat

My response- Yes. Q and A’s educate to form solutions and partnerships. Chats provide opportunity for involvement.

This was my only contribution. For those who haven’t read the National Pain Strategy, I encourage you to do so now. We often want to be involved and voice our opinions, we want to help make change, or be there to advocate for our loved ones, or ourselves, yet too often we rely on others to tell us what something is, what it says, or what it’s all about. You have to read it for yourself, otherwise, you’re only receiving pieces and parts and from another’s perspective. I’m not embarrassed to admit a one time read isn’t enough. Neither is the second re-do. It’s in-depth and complex.

Future chats are important for all of us to come together to discuss the report.

After the NPSChat I was asked “@rsdcrpsfire @powerofpain Do you believe Sean Mackey cares? or NIH cares?”

I did exchange further conversation with the person who asked and replying to other questions. And I hope Mr. Mackey does care as my own daughter is now in the care of Stanford, both transplant center and pain management. His job is above caring though. Learning that Dr. Mackey’s parents both live with chronic pain didn’t really impact me. It only means that he does in fact have a personal connection to pain in addition to his education and experiences. It doesn’t mean at all that it will influence him either way. Of course my heart goes out to his parents.

It’s like saying “my best friend is black” to appease a situation of color. Stating a family member has chronic pain is like attempting a nudge toward acceptance. It doesn’t make any difference to me. Actions speak louder than words, so we’ll see and I do mean that with the utmost respect.

For the sake of the NPS and those of you who support it, I support it for you at this time. I’m not entirely certain of its benefits or that it will be implemented properly. Like most strategies, guidelines, and law the benefits are often dismissed when they matter most.

Having been apart of change and implementation for the current California Pain Management Guidelines I’m not naive to opioid prescribing, risks or need.

There are too many guidelines being developed. The CDC, government and state levels. The only people who are going to suffer are those who are labeled with “pain”.

Opioids don’t kill, being irresponsible does. The double-edged sword in under treated pain and prescribing.

Take Our Survey About the CDC Opioid Guidelines September 29, 2015 By Pat Anson, Editor

http://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2015/9/29/pain-patients-take-our-survey-about-cdc-opioid-guidelines

Direct link to Survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GGJ5ZCH

Your voice matters!

I look forward to the next #NPSChat.

Together, we can..

… And we will.

~Twinkle V.

Executive Board/Advocacy Director powerofpain.org