Monitor on Psychology - November 2011 - (Page 25)

An Institute of Medicine report identifies pain as a major public health problem that will require physicians to team with psychologists to address its biological, psychological and social underpinnings. B Y B ETH A zA R I f the recommendations of a new Institute of Medicine report get implemented, the way clinicians, researchers and patients approach pain management will place more emphasis on the psychological and social aspects of pain, says psychologist Francis Keefe, PhD, who sat on the committee that wrote the report. That shift from a biological model of pain — where pain is considered a sensory response to a specific injury — to a more integrated model that includes biological, psychological and social factors should spur a move toward team-centered pain management that includes primary-care physicians, nurses, physical rehabilitation specialists, and psychologists and other mental health professionals, says Keefe, professor of medical psychology and professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. The report, released in June and titled “Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research,” emphasizes the need to treat pain as an independent disease, at least in some cases, not simply a byproduct of another disease or injury. In fact, says the report, pain is one of the biggest public health problems in the United States, with an estimated 116 million Americans living with pain — more than those affected by heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined. Acute and chronic pain costs the country an estimated $635 billion each year in medical treatment and lost productivity. The hope is that the findings regarding biopsychosocial aspects of pain highlighted in the report will trickle down to primary-care settings where people typically seek help for pain, says Keefe. It is becoming clear that primary-care physicians need to better understand the psychological and social underpinnings of both acute and chronic pain and that psychologists need to better understand how to integrate psychological models of pain with pharmacological and surgical interventions. APA’s Education Directorate, in conjunction with APA’s Div. 38 (Health), has been working for years to develop educational competencies for training programs that prepare psychologists to work in primary care and health-care settings, including training in pain management, says Cynthia Belar, PhD, APA’s executive director of education. In addition, APA has advocated for insurance reimbursement policies that support team-based approaches to care — a specific recommendation made in the IOM report. Overall, “the report fits nicely within APA’s strategic plan, which focuses on the need for better integrated care,” she says. Among the report’s calls for action are: • Creating a comprehensive strategy for pain prevention, treatment, management and research. • Supporting collaborations between pain specialists and primary-care physicians. • Designating a lead institute at nIh responsible for moving pain research forward. • expanding and redesigning education programs to transform the understanding of pain. • Increasing support for interdisciplinary research in pain. • Increasing the training of pain researchers. The report speaks to more than 30 years of efforts to reshape how people think about pain, says psychologist and IOM committee member Robert Kerns, PhD, national program director for pain management of the Department of Veterans Affairs and professor of psychiatry, neurology and psychology at Yale University. This report represents a turning point in that thinking, he says. “Over-reliance on a purely biological perspective on pain often contributes to an enormous amount of suffering and increased cost,” adds Keefe. “This report holds out the hope that by using a broader, biopsychosocial approach to pain, much of that suffering and cost can be prevented.” n Beth Azar is a writer in Portland, Ore. To download a copy of the IOM report go to www.iom.edu/ Reports/2011/Relieving-Pain-in-America-A-Blueprint-forTransforming-Prevention-Care-Education-Research.aspx. 25 n ov e M b e r 2 0 1 1 • M o n i to r o n p s yc h o l o g y http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Relieving-Pain-in-America-A-Blueprint-for-Transforming-Prevention-Care-Education-Research.aspx http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Relieving-Pain-in-America-A-Blueprint-for-Transforming-Prevention-Care-Education-Research.aspx http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Relieving-Pain-in-America-A-Blueprint-for-Transforming-Prevention-Care-Education-Research.aspx

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - November 2011

Monitor on Psychology - November 2011
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
Guest Column
‘Grand Challenges’ offers blueprint for mental health research
Documentary seeks to reach parents of LGBT kids
Treating veterans will cost at least $5 billion by 2020
Selfless volunteering might lengthen your life
Combat and stress up among U.S. military in Afghanistan
South Africa to host international psychology conference
Study uncovers a reason behind sex differences in mental illness
Navy psychologist gives a voice to combat trauma
In Brief
Psychologist suicide
On Your Behalf
Journey back to Heart Mountain
Psychology is key to pain management, report finds
ACT goes international
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Science Watch
Behavior change in 15-minute sessions?
Health-care reform 2.0
Perspective on Practice
Giving a heads up on concussion
Practice Profile
Searching for meaning
Inspiring young researchers
Aging, with grace
Public Interest
Thank you!
APA News
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
The man who gave Head Start a start
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - November 2011

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/member_benefits
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201109_test
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201109
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com