Baltimore, MD—August 30, 2011—In a collaborative effort to provide comprehensive, quality clinical education to healthcare professionals, Joint Commission Resources (JCR), University of Utah School of Medicine Office of CME (UUCME), and Med-IQ are pleased to announce the launch of the new CME/CE series, Pain Management Strategies for the Hospital-Based Care Team.

Ten years ago, as a result of inadequate analgesia in hospitalized patients, The Joint Commission introduced standards requiring hospital staff competency in pain assessment and treatment. Evidence shows, however, that a professional practice gap remains between the optimal assessment and treatment of pain and current practice in hospitals.

"To best relieve suffering and promote healing, evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and management of acute pain in hospitalized patients should guide therapeutic decisions and protocols whenever possible," said Perry G. Fine, MD, President of the American Academy of Pain Medicine and Professor of Anesthesiology at University of Utah Pain Research Center. "Additionally, members of hospital-based pain teams should work closely with each other, along with admitting physicians and with patients, to be able to optimize care among patients with chronic pain conditions."

Consisting of an interactive Webcast, five case-based Web modules, and a print publication, this complimentary, certified CME/CE series addresses professional practice gaps in the optimal care of patients with chronic pain and focuses on strategies for improving the use of national guidelines and pain management standards in hospitals.

Topics include:

• Painful diabetic neuropathy in a morbidly obese man
• Pharmacologic management of osteoarthritis in an 81-year-old woman
• Mixed pain in a 63-year-old man
• Multimodal treatment in a drug-dependent patient with neuropathic pain syndrome 
• Osteoporosis-related pain in an elderly woman
• Acute pain in patients with chronic pain disorders

The education is designed for all members of hospital-based pain teams, including anesthesiologists, pain specialists, hospitalists, internists, physician assistants, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and nurses.

"The acute-care hospital setting presents unique circumstances for patients who are admitted while experiencing chronic pain. Without considering differences in neuronal responses to chronic and acute pain and individualizing management strategies accordingly, patients may be at risk of undue suffering and complications," says Leslie LaBelle, RN, MSN, MBA, CPHQ, Associate Director of National Conferences and Field Education for Joint Commission Resources. "In addition to exploring the latest in evidence-based recommendations for pain management, this series is designed to enhance the coordination of care in this patient population among hospital-based clinicians."

This complimentary educational series can be accessed today at www.Med-IQ.com/s32. The certified CME print publication will also be available as a supplement to the September issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.

This innovative partnership marks the first time that JCR, UUCME, and Med-IQ—three leading medical-education–focused organizations—have strategically aligned. The collaboration highlights each organization's commitment to providing superior continuing education to help improve clinicians' medical knowledge and performance, as well as patient health.

The University of Utah School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. This series is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ by University of Utah School of Medicine and ACPE and CBRN credit by Med-IQ and is supported by an educational grant from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., administered by Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.

About Joint Commission Resources

About University of Utah School of Medicine, Office of CME

The mission of The University of Utah Continuing Medical Education (UUCME) is to support lifelong learning for University of Utah physicians, community physicians, and other health care professionals and to serve as a critical element in the University of Utah continuum of medical education. The UUCME office provides research and evidence-based activities to promote an increase in patient safety, a reduction in medical errors, more appropriate methods for prescribing, and more effective methods of referrals in order to enhance the ultimate goal of helping physicians practice high-quality patient care resulting in better outcomes. UUCME is committed to offering programs that are intended to enhance physician and other healthcare professional development of lifelong learning through effectively designed programs and experiences, which help to change competence, performance, and/or patient outcomes. Learn more about UUCME at www.medicine.utah.edu/cme.

About Med-IQ

Med-IQ, recipient of the Alliance for CME's 2011 William Campbell Felch Award for Research in CME, is an accredited provider of education that inspires healthcare professionals through activities that deliver sophisticated outcomes-based educational designs with measurable results in professional competence and performance. Med-IQ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the California Board of Registered Nursing (CBRN), and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing medical education to physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, respectively. We are a leader in the development of performance improvement (PI) and quality improvement (QI) CME initiatives. To learn more about Med-IQ, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, connect with us on LinkedIn, and visit our YouTube channel.

For more information, contact:

Catherine B. Mullaney, MHA
Vice President, Educational Partnerships
Med-IQ
443 543 5101
info@med-iq.com

Join our social network for real-time medical education best practices.