Pain Medicine An Interdisciplinary Case-Based Approach PDF

Pain Medicine An Interdisciplinary Case-Based Approach PDF Free Download

Although it is no secret that chronic pain is a major healthcare problem of epidemic proportions, its management is far from perfect. In the United States, chronic pain has an estimated prevalence of greater that 30% and is one of the main reasons for seeking medical care. The direct and indirect economic costs of chronic pain are astronomical. Chronic pain is challenging not only because of complex pathophysiological processes but also because it affects all facets of life: physical, emotional, psychological, economic, and social. Hence, many experts consider chronic pain not a mere symptom but a disease entity in itself. This constellation poses particular challenges in the management of chronic pain and requires integration of multiple, and often simultaneous, approaches to optimize patient outcomes.
Interdisciplinary clinical medicine involves bringing together the input of multiple healthcare specialists of different backgrounds in the care of complex patients. Patients benefit from the contribution of experts from different clinical backgrounds who address their problems in an integrated and concurrent fashion. The resultant comprehensive patient care may be more successful at managing and solving patient problems that are beyond the proficiency and training of a single provider. The benefits, however, are not limited to the patients. Clinicians learn from the cross-pollination of knowledge and exchange of clinical experiences and skills. This concept has been embraced in medical education, and particularly in pain medicine. Indeed, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has mandated multidisciplinary training of fellows in accredited programs in pain medicine since 2007. Greater exposure of trainees to the disciplines of neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and psychiatry/psychology, in addition to anesthesiology is now routine. Innovation in educational experience is highly encouraged, including training in cancer pain, palliative care, and pediatric pain. Specific training requirements are also delineated for the interventional track trainees. Interdisciplinary medicine, although ideal, may be difficult to practice. Team members must learn to appreciate the differing perspectives and accede to work with each other.