BALTIMORE, MD—Med-IQ, an award-winning, ACCME-accredited provider of continuing medical education (CME), is pleased to announce the publication of Pain Management in Long-Term Care Communities: A Quality Improvement Initiative in Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging. Co-sponsored by The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and Med-IQ, in collaboration with Brookdale Senior Living, Inc., this data-driven manuscript details research findings from a quality improvement (QI) initiative designed to improve the management of pain in long-term care (LTC) community residents.

In April 2012, the collaborators launched a QI initiative at one LTC facility to identify and subsequently minimize clinical gaps in pain recognition, assessment, and control. Facility staff and clinicians received educational interventions to enhance their knowledge and the integration of this knowledge into practice. Pain Management in Long-Term Care Communities presents the rationale, development, challenges, and successes of this QI initiative. Published by Annals of Long-Term Care in February 2015, this manuscript represents Med-IQ’s 28th publication in the peer-reviewed medical literature.

Pain Management in Long-Term Care Communities: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Authors:
Cary Reid, MD, PhD
Kevin W. O’Neil, MD, FACP
JaNeen Dancy, PharmD
Carolyn A. Berry, PhD
Stephanie A. Stowell, MPhil

Untreated or undertreated pain can negatively affect physical and mental health and reduce individuals’ overall quality of life. Thus, the goal of this QI program was to improve clinicians’ ability to recognize, assess, and manage pain in elderly LTC residents according to evidence-based guidelines. The initiative comprised multiple phases that together spanned 13 months, gathered data from multiple sources (focus-group interviews, online surveys, and retrospective chart pulls), and provided targeted live and online reinforcement interventions to provide clinicians with practical tools and resources, emphasize key educational concepts of the initiative, and facilitate changes in practice.

“Multifaceted QI programs such as these enable clinicians to better translate knowledge into everyday practice,” said Sara Miller, director of the QI Institute and CE Strategy and Content at Med-IQ. “Our initiative provided participants with effective strategies for improving their use of evidence-based approaches to assessing and managing pain in LTC residents, and we showed significant changes in clinical practice.”

To learn more about the results of this initiative, access the manuscript in the February 2015 issue of Annals of Long-Term Care.

Founded in 1992, Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging is a peer-reviewed medical journal that addresses practical issues that affect the care of LTC residents. The monthly journal reaches approximately 50,000 medical directors, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, psychiatrists, and other allied health professionals. Annals of Long-Term Care is an official publication of the American Geriatrics Society, which has a partnership with the American Association for Long Term Care Nursing.

Are you interested in speaking with Med-IQ about QI initiatives? If so, please contact Sara Miller, director of Med-IQ’s QI Institute, at 443 543 5200.

This activity was supported by an educational grant from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., administered by Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.

 

About Med-IQ

Med-IQ, America’s most respected provider of continuing medical education (CME), inspires healthcare professionals through award-winning 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.

As a leader in the CME industry, Med-IQ has delivered 32 performance improvement (PI) and quality improvement (QI) initiatives that make use of systems-based training such as Crew Resource Management (CRM) to improve team performance and patient outcomes. These initiatives have achieved improvement in healthcare professional performance, quality of care, and patient outcomes. Med-IQ’s work in this space has been published 30 times in peer-reviewed journals, and the company has been recognized by the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions for excellence in CEhp research (William Campbell Felch Award 2013, 2011), educational collaborations (2013), outstanding CME outcomes assessment (2012), and exceptional leadership and contributions to the CEhp profession (Leadership Award 2015, 2013; Distinguished Fellow Award 2015; President’s Award 2015, 2012; Rising Star Award 2015). To learn more about Med-IQ, visit www.Med-IQ.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and connect with us on LinkedIn.

To learn more about Med-IQ, visit www.Med-IQ.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and connect with us on LinkedIn.

For more information, contact:

Amy Caswell
Senior Audience Development Manager
866 858 7434
info@med-iq.com

Med-IQ
Inspiring Medical Education.