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APS
26th Annual Scientific Meeting
The APS Scientific Planning Committee, led by chair Mary Ersek, has taken great care to put together a program in 2007 that appeals to all disciplines. There are more than 130 distinguished faculty who will share their expertise and research findings. These symposia illustrate the breadth of the meeting content. Visit the APS Web site to read full program descriptions.
Centers of Excellence Gala
Pediatric Pain Forum The Pediatric Pain Forum will take place on May 2 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, VA. This 1-day forum is for scientists, clinical researchers, physicians, and other healthcare providers involved in developmental pain research or pediatric pain management. The keynote speaker is Carol Schadelbauer, vice president and director, Health and Science Advisory Team, Burness Communications, Bethesda, MD. She will present Getting Pediatric Pain the Attention It Deserves. For information about other speakers and topics, visit www.ampainsoc.org/meeting/annual_07/pediatric.htm.
APS
Legislative Agenda Having just finished a thorough and invigorating strategic planning process, the APS leadership is excited to bring our vision and message about pain relief to legislators at the annual meeting in Washington, DC. The board of directors has been consulting with Robert Saner of the Washington, DC-based law firm Powers Pyle Sutter & Verville P.C., about refining our advocacy message and developing a strategy to share this message for positive change in pain research, education, and treatment. Mr. Saner has worked for many years with APS and the Pain Care Coalition and is well-versed in pain issues, initiatives, and proposed legislation. He and his associate, Adam Chrisney, attended the APS mid-year board meeting and presented an overview of legislative issues for the board to consider, including NIH funding for pain research, Medicare payment issues affecting access to pain care, DEA and the Controlled Substances Act, prescription drug abuse, and HR 1020, the National Pain Care Policy Act. The board agreed on the following goals to advance through its advocacy efforts:
A small task force of board members, including Nathaniel Katz, MD, Gil Fanciullo, MD MS, Charles Inturrisi, PhD, Seddon Savage, MD, and David Williams, PhD, was appointed to further develop these goals and to identify objectives within each one to guide APS's advocacy efforts in the next few years. These were presented to the board in January and a final issues agenda was approved in February. The final version of the issues agenda, posted here, forms the basis for APS's outreach to legislators in Washington, DC. Between now and May 1, Saner, Chrisney, and APS leaders will prepare issues briefings, position papers, and talking points and will set appointments for board members to meet key Senators and Congressmen. On May 2, the board, along with leaders from the American Academy of Pain Medicine, will hone their skills to present these ideas to legislators in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Most of their day will be spent meeting legislators and staff on Capitol Hill. APS members are invited to participate independently in this important effort. All APS issues briefing materials and leave-behind pieces will be available for members’ use on March 26 on the Web site. Specific tips for making appointments with your own representatives and delivering effective messages will also be provided. We hope that you will join us in this exciting opportunity to bring pain to the forefront of the national healthcare agenda.
News Highlights from The Journal of Pain
Factors
Associated with Depressed Mood in Chronic Pain Patients: The Role
of Intrapersonal Coping Resources While chronic pain severity is closely linked with depression, pain patients who employ effective personal coping skills are better able to minimize interferences in normal life activities and avoid mood disorders, according to a new study in The Journal of Pain. Researchers from Stony Brook University, New York, examined intrapersonal coping resources, such as self-esteem and optimism, to determine how they might benefit individuals with chronic pain or perhaps burden them. Interviews were conducted with 141 outpatients, from 22- to 70-years-old, at a university-affiliated chronic pain center. The authors reported that chronic pain patients exhibiting greater coping resources experienced less severe pain, less interference in their daily lives, and a lower incidence of depression than those with fewer coping resources. It also was reported that older patients were more optimistic and had higher self-esteem than younger pain patients.
The number of pain specialists practicing in the United States, especially in rural communities, is woefully inadequate despite mounting evidence that untreated and undertreated chronic pain is the nation’s leading public health problem. According to a new study published in The Journal of Pain, just 5% of chronic pain patients ever see a pain specialist. Researchers from Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, reported that the 2,500 board-certified pain specialists in the U.S. represent four physicians per 100,000 patients with chronic pain. Further, they found the location of pain management practices largely corresponds with larger population centers. The study also reported that 28% of pain practices focus on a single treatment modality, and just half provide multidisciplinary pain care. “The severe shortage of pain specialists in the U.S. is further exaggerated by the substantially large proportion of pain physicians who do not provide the multimodality and interdisciplinary care optimal for many complex pain patients,” the authors concluded.
Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship: Call for Applications for 2007 Apply online at painandhealth.org/maydayfellows/fellows.html. The Mayday Fund, a New York City foundation dedicated to alleviating the incidence, degree, and consequence of human physical pain, announced today that it will begin accepting applications for the 2007 Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship: A Media & Policy Fellows Initiative. This is the fourth year of the program designed to equip physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, scientists, and legal scholars with the necessary skills to become effective advocates and spokespeople about pain issues in the United States and Canada. Developing their communications skills, the six experts chosen will be poised to move the field forward with their willingness to educate and work with the media, policymakers, advocates, and health and business leaders. Six fellows are chosen each year, and the fellowship program runs through 2009. Once selected, the six fellows will attend a 4-day training in Washington, DC (October 2–-25, 2007), developing individual advocacy plans to include connecting with local and national media, writing opinion editorials, developing relationships with university public affairs and government relations leadership, and talking with state legislators and members of Congress. Each fellow will have 5 months of coaching with a communications officer to track progress on their plans. Mayday Fellows have succeeded in televised panel discussions, live radio, and television interviews; served as advisors to producers working on longer segments on pain; been accepted to a policy post on Capitol Hill; and published editorials and letters to the editor, to name a few. They use the tools they received in training to advance advocacy goals. Candidates for the fellowship must be accomplished experts in pain management, established at an institution with peer-reviewed research, and able and willing to devote a significant amount of time to using the skills learned in the fellowship. They must show an interest in going beyond their professional pursuits to inspire change and make an impact on the pain field. Those interested can apply online at painandhealth.org/maydayfellows/fellows.html
NIH Director’s New Innovator Awards The NIH Office of the Director is beginning a new program for young investigators called the NIH Director’s New Innovator Awards. This program will support new investigators who have had no previous R01 grant support, hold independent research positions at domestic institutions, and are within 10 years of their terminal degree. Funding is expected by September 30. The intent of this program is to support new, creative investigators who have innovative approaches to solving significant problems in biomedical and behavioral research. The research topic is open to any scientific area relevant to NIH’s mission. The awards will be for up to $300,000 direct costs per year, plus facilities and administrative costs for up to 5 years. Approximately 14 to 16 awards are expected to be presented.
The Social Work in Hospice and Palliative Care Network (www.swhpn.org) is seeking nominations for social workers in the areas of research, education, practice, and policy whose contributions have provided quality care to the seriously ill, dying, and bereaved. Made possible by the Open Society Institute, this unique Project on Death in America (PDIA) Social Work Leadership Award includes a $1,500 grant, publishing opportunities, conference registration, and travel expenses to present the work. Completed nomination packets must be received no later than March 31. Read more about this new annual award and fill out the online nomination form. Virtual
Reality Pain Distraction
Young Investigator Travel Award Recipients APS is pleased to award Young Investigator Travel Awards to 51 trainees to provide them an opportunity to attend the 2007 annual meeting. They each will present their research during designated paper and poster sessions. The APS meeting creates a milieu where scientists and clinicians can share relevant information from their different perspectives, frequently leading to advances in clinical care. 2007
Young Investigators APS gratefully acknowledges NIH for its generous support of the 2007 Young Investigator program.
There is a lot to see in Washington, DC, and most of it is free. The city offers historical and educational attractions, cultural and entertainment activities, plenty of multi-ethnic dining experiences, and an array of shopping venues. See how money is printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing or visit the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Take in the city’s many memorials commemorating past presidents (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Roosevelt) and wars (Vietnam, Korean War, Battle of Iwo Jima). Or visit the Arlington National Cemetery, tour the vast Smithsonian Institute, or wander just outside the city to see Civil War battlefields or President Washington's home at Mount Vernon, located just south of the city. Washington, DC: Attractions That Require Advance Planning While you can just wander in to any Smithsonian museum without tickets or reservations, other attractions require advanced planning. The
U.S. Capitol The
Washington Monument The
White House The
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum General Links www.washington.org Dining www.washingtonian.com/sections/restaurants/index.html
Update Your Contact Information! The 2007 APS Membership Directory will be published and distributed this summer. To ensure that your listing is accurate, log on to the Members Only section of the APS Web site. Enter your Web
ID (for first-time visitors, this is your Member ID) and Password
and click "Update Your Own Member Record." Please note: APS does not sell or distribute your personal information. |
May
2–5, 2007
The
following highlights summarize selected articles from the March
2007 issue (volume 8, number 3).
Past
issues of the APS Bulletin are archived online for your convenience
and reference. This month, we’re highlighting an article that
you may have missed when it was first published: