Management of pain is crucial for providers
The Journal of Managed Care Medicine which is published by the National Association of Managed Care Physicians has consistently served as a trustworthy resource for industry providers. In the most recent publication, Volume 15, Number 1, JMCM once again proved itself both timely and reliable by featuring an article that explored the epidemic of untreated pain and the importance of pain management. The article discussed not only the high cost of ineffectively-controlled pain but the knowledge and abilities that pain-management clinicians need to possess to deliver effective care.
Adequate pain management calls for an inclusive evaluation and very often a multi-modality treatment strategy. Pain, chronic or untreated, can indicate high healthcare utilization and can produce significant societal costs. In fact, the total annual cost of poorly controlled persistent pain amounts to close to $100 billion per year. “Identifying healthcare issues which have a tendency to drive costs up over time, and impact the health of both patients and society is an important part of the financial management of healthcare. Because of its complexity, pain management requires a comprehensive approach to assessment and the use of validated tools and guidelines in order to optimize pain treatment methods, and benefit both the patient through superior care, and society through decreased costs,” stated Danyell Jones, a Senior Vice President with BHM.
Dr. Mark Rosenberg, President of BHM Healthcare Solutions and author of the recent article, has been focused on helping various providers and delivery systems to improve their methods of treating pain, while simultaneously ensuring that pain treatment options are viable from a financial perspective. Additionally, as a leader within the healthcare management consulting industry, Dr. Rosenberg has delivered several notable presentations and learning-series talks at national conventions dedicated to this topic. “Pain is costly on many levels, impacting the patient, managed care organizations, employers, and society in general. It is critical for providers to be unbiased in their assessments, to use and reference current evidence-based pain management standards and guidelines, and to advocate for each patient by collaborating with experts to formulate an interdisciplinary treatment plan,” commented Dr. Rosenberg. He continued, “An important strategy for healthcare management is to mitigate the cost associated with the loss in productivity resulting from persistent pain.”
To view the article “Untreated Pain Epidemic: Multi-Modality Approach to Pain Management” in its entirety, please visit http://issuu.com/namcp/docs/jmcm_15.1.
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