Pain management education encouraged

AMA delegates say more education is needed in the area of pain management.

By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. July 9/16, 2001.

Chicago -- The AMA House of Delegates approved a resolution calling for the Association to collect and disseminate information about effective pain management education for medical schools and residency programs. The AMA also will encourage organizations to support voluntary continuing education for physicians, based on effective pain management guidelines.

"Education is the way to prevent [problems] from occurring," said George J. Van Komen, MD, president of the Federation of State Medical Boards and a Salt Lake City internist, who spoke about pain management at the Annual Meeting.

Delegates from Wisconsin wanted the AMA to develop model curricula for training in pain management and palliative care in medical schools and residency programs. Several delegates also testified about the importance of teaching pain management.

Organizations such as the FSMB and the American Academy of Pain Medicine have created curriculum frameworks for teaching effective pain management. Delegates suggested that the AMA could collect, synthesize and disseminate such information for use with medical students and resident physicians.

At the practicing physician level, delegates said, education in pain management is important but should not be mandated. But they agreed doctors should strive to improve the quality of care in managing patients' pain. [...]