Pain Awareness Month

September is Pain Awareness Month.  CMS is committed to reducing opioid misuse by promoting person-centered care that encourages safe and effective pain management including opioid and non-opioid pain treatments.  Medicare Part B helps pay for physical therapy, occupational therapy, manual manipulation of the spine (when medically necessary), and behavioral health services like depression screening, that may help your patients manage their pain.  Prescription pain drugs can also be used to help relieve moderate-to-severe pain.  For More Information see:

• Recently released MLN Matters article Medicare Coverable Services for Integrative and Non-pharmacological Chronic Pain Management at https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNMattersArticles/Downloads/SE19008.pdf.
• Pain awareness article Know What Medicare Covers to Help Manage Your Pain at https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Story-Page/opioids-pain-awareness-month-article.pdf.
• CMS pain management web page at https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/pain-management.
• HHS pain management information at https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/prevention/pain-management-options/.
• CDC web page on pain management at https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/patients/options.html.https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/patients/options.html.

RSN Podcast on Pain Management

The Renal Support Network has published a podcast on Pain Management for Those Who Have Kidney Disease.  Find the podcast at https://www.rsnhope.org/kidneytalk/kidney-disease-and-pain-management/.

6/12+ Infection Control Tools

• In mid-June 2019 a series of presentations on Infection Control, offering free CME/CE credits to physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, will expire.  CDC and Medscape produced them in 2017 with the intention that they’d be valid for two years.  The six presentations include Risk Recognition, Environmental Services, Medical Equipment, Nonsterile Gloves, Hierarchy of Controls, and Injection Safety.  Find them at https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/training/cme-info.html.

• The Joint Commission Speak Up series includes a poster and short video in English and Spanish on Infection Prevention.  Find these tools and many more at https://www.jointcommission.org/topics/speak_up_infection_control.aspx.  The Speak Up series also includes resources on Five Ways to Be Active in Your Care at the Hospital for dialysis and diabetes patients, on Avoiding a Return Trip to the Hospital, on Depression, on Organ Donation, on Pain, and many other topics.  Find them all at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3e5uml0tk6myy4s/AAB0a91UJK8p8-VkokWD0q2Ga?dl=0.

• The Oregon Patient Safety Commission suggests giving your facility a Patient Safety Culture Survey, such as those provided by the HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).  While they don’t have a Survey specifically for dialysis facilities, most of the questions on any of their surveys are directly applicable or can easily be adapted.  For details see https://oregonpatientsafety.org/news-information/patient-safety-alerts/add-patient-safety-culture-surveys-to-your-prevention-toolbox/945/.

• AHRQ will present a June 12, 2019 webinar on Best Practices for Web-Based Surveys on Patient Safety Culture; register at https://westat.webex.com/mw3300/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=westat&service=6&rnd=0.14765443759873476&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwestat.webex.com%2Fec3300%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Ddetail%26%26%26EMK%3D4832534b00000004055fc9090fc824db69d4fc807faaa82be8a7e2f6b039075465c816eb25f825d0%26siteurl%3Dwestat%26confViewID%3D123809633363065597%26encryptTicket%3DSDJTSwAAAARxY3pJMqWtIxlWNZjpy6DEzK3qsti–1Bsvb7DlIp51Q2%26#utm_source=SOPSanc&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20190422.

• The CDC Safe Healthcare Blog makes a good frequent reminder about the ever-present danger of infection, and how to respond to it effectively.  It’s post for this week is titled Clean Hands Count to Keep Patients Safe from Healthcare Associated Infections.  Find the post and the Blog at https://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/clean-hands-count-to-keep-patients-safe-from-healthcare-associated-infections/.

5/26 DPC Call on Laughter and Pain

Dialysis Patient Citizens will present a May 26, 2019 webinar and conference call on Relieving Pain through Laughter, aka “Joyology.”  For details see https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/nwrn.org/files/N/DPC/DPCLaugh2019.pdf, and RSVP at https://www.dpcedcenter.org/.

4/30 CCCC Webinar on Pain Management

CCCC will present an April 30, 2019 webinar on A Patient Perspective on Opioids for Chronic Pain Management: A Double-Edged Sword for Patients and Their Clinicians. For details and registration see https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-a-patient-perspective-on-opioids-for-chronic-pain-management-a-double-edged-sword-for-tickets-57466785703?mc_eid=67e1ad4c31&mc_cid=0a293b1699.

6/28 DPC Pain Audio Conference

Dialysis Patient Citizens will present a June 28, 2018 audio conference on Understanding and Managing Chronic Pain.  RSVP for full details at http://www.dpcedcenter.org/.  You can also login directly at http://www.dpcedcenter.org/education-call shortly before 11am PDT on June 28, or call 877-399-5186 and enter code 433 459 5474.

1/11 Pain Management WIHI

IHI will present a January 11, 2018 free audio “WIHI” on Opioid Crisis: Changing Habits and Improving Pain Management.  For details and to register, see http://www.ihi.org/education/AudioVideo/WIHI/opioid-crisis-changing-habits-and-improving-pain-management/Pages/default.aspx.