title: How to develop effective pain management policies.
abstract: By building effective pain management strategies into the treatment plans they develop, case managers can eliminate needless suffering and possible delays in healing among some patients, experts say. To ensure a thorough pain evaluation, experts recommend that case managers include the following examination elements: a chronological history of the pain; activities that make the pain better or worse; ability to perform activities of daily living; possible underlying disease processes; therapies tried in the past for pain relief; and a complete list of medications taken for pain and other conditions. Possible elements to include in your own pain management policies include: systematic and ongoing assessment of pain symptoms; systematic use of appropriate medications; combining pain medications with non-drug therapies; measuring pain management outcomes; and ongoing quality improvement assessments.
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019090:Case Management / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007591:Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics