Pain, the most common symptom of disease or disability, is an important but neglected worldwide public health problem. Chronic, nonmalignant pain affects an estimated 34 million Americans, and its effects on personal and job-related productivity and quality of life are immense. Although pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical attention, treatment is frequently inadequate. Physicians have an ethical obligation to manage pain and relieve the patient's suffering, but the assessment and management of pain occupies little time in medical school curricula or in postgraduate education for physicians and medical students. Barriers to proper treatment include inadequate pain assessment, poor provider-patient communication, and lack of knowledge on appropriate use of analgesics. The purpose of this Phase II SBIR is to produce a comprehensive, CME-accredited, interactive CD-ROM educational program that will enhance the skills of primary care physicians and other health professionals in the diagnosis and pharmacological management of patients with chronic pain.
Specific aims are: 1) establish the scientific content to focus on treatment with opioid and non-opioid medications, 2) produce a marketable, comprehensive educational CD-ROM program, and 3) establish the effectiveness of the program on the diagnosis and management of patients with chronic pain.
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