title: Pain management: new initiatives arise to provide quality care.
abstract: During the past decade, many advances have been made in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of pain. However, undertreatment of pain among all population groups is still a nationwide problem. Changes, though, are occurring this year, with many hospitals, health systems, and health plans placing pain management on the top of their patient agendas--due in part to the introduction of new pain management standards by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. This issue looks at how health care providers are working together across the country to make those changes--and meet JCAHO standards--while fulfilling the needs of their patient populations through innovative pain assessment and management strategies.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Simmons
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000592:standards*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000592:standards; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007591:Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010358:Patient Participation; D028701:Patient Rights; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014481:United States