National Pain Care Policy Act Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives

[Guest guest]

NATIONAL PAIN CARE POLICY ACT OF 2007

National Pain Care Policy Act Introduced in the U.S. House of

Representatives!

Millions of Americans who suffer from pain could soon find relief

thanks to legislation introduced in the U.S. House of

Representatives today. Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Mike

(R-MI) introduced the National Pain Care Policy Act of 2007

(HR 2994), which would improve pain care research, education,

training, and access. The pain community has been instrumental in

joining forces to support and advance this important legislation

BILL SUMMARY

Pain is the most common reason Americans access the health care

system and is a leading contributor to health care costs. Pain is

also a leading cause of disability. Most painful conditions can be

relieved with proper treatment, and providing adequate pain

management is a crucial component of improving and maintaining

quality of life for patients, survivors, and their loved ones. Yet

people in pain often face significant barriers that can prevent

proper assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of their

pain. The National Pain Care Policy Act of 2007 is designed to

address many of these barriers by improving pain care research,

education, training, access, outreach and care.

INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE CONFERENCE ON PAIN CARE

Section 3 authorizes an Institute of Medicine Conference on Pain

Care to:

•

Increase awareness of pain as a significant public health problem;

•

Evaluate the adequacy of pain assessment, treatment and management;

•

Identify barriers to appropriate pain care;

•

Establish an action agenda to address barriers and improve pain care

research, education, training and clinical care;

•

Highlight disparities in pain care specific to populations that are

disproportionately under-treated for pain; and

•

Report to Congress on findings and recommendations.

PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION FOR THE PAIN CONSORTIUM AT NIH

Section 4 provides a statutory base for the trans-institute Pain

Consortium at the National Institutes of Health to:

•

Establish and maintain a coordinated national agenda for basic and

clinical research on pain causes and effective treatments;

•

Promote integrated pain research, training and related activities

across NIH institutes, centers and programs;

•

Convene an annual conference to assess and make recommendations for

NIH pain research and program activities; and

•

Establish a multidisciplinary Consortium Advisory Committee.

PAIN CARE EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Section 5 creates a grant program to improve health professionals'

understanding and ability to assess and appropriately treat pain:

•

Requires the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to

collect and disseminate protocols and evidence-based practices

regarding pain; and

•

Authorizes the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

to provide grants for development and implementation of programs to

educate and train professionals in pain assessment and care.

PAIN Section 6 requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services

awareness campaign to educate consumers, patients, families and

other caregivers on the: • Significance of pain as a national public

health problem;

•

Risks to patients if pain is not properly assessed and treat

•

Availability, benefits, and risks of treatment and management

•

Importance of having pain assessed and treated;

•

Role of pain management specialists;

•

Resources available to patients and other

•

Prevalence and causes of disparities in pain management among

underserved population