Follow Us On
Contact Us
info@ampainsoc.org847.375.4715
American Pain Society
4700 W Lake Ave
Glenview, IL 60025
Michael E. Clark, PhD, Department Editor
Reviewed by Paul Arnstein, PhD RN
The Pain & the Law newsletter/Web site was developed collaboratively by Saint Louis University Law School and the American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics, with financial backing from the Mayday Foundation. The site targets a multidisciplinary audience of health care and legal professionals. Although broad in scope, the focus is on addressing legal issues that pose real or potential barriers to pain management. The content does have a broad appeal, reviewing clinical, historical, legal, and regulatory issues, especially for chronic (cancer and non-cancer) pain and palliative care.
The site provides an introduction to the history and current reality of the reluctance to prescribe opioids to patients who need them for fear of legal sanction. There is a brief video clip that introduces visitors to the site; it was technically difficult to operate and not worth additional time and effort. The “Breaking News” section is current (the most recent entry was posted 1 week prior to this review). An archive allows curious visitors to review past legislative actions and legal cases that shape current laws and their interpretation. A “Statutes and Regulations” section is broadly separated by federal and state government categories. The federal section reviews regulations by agency (e.g., Health and Human Services, Medicare and Medicaid, Drug Enforcement Administration, etc.), with overview statements and links to the latest approvals, regulations, or search tools. The “Palliative Care” section is different than the others because a “persons in pain” link is separate from the link for professionals seeking information on pain and symptom control at the end of life.
The “Malpractice and Civil Action” section is noteworthy in the breadth and depth of information available, and distinguishes this site from others on the Internet. Within this section, there are pages devoted to undermedicating, overmedicating, failure to refer, clinical guidelines, and informed consent. For each subsection, there is an overview, a review of cases, and commentary. Like other parts of the site, there is a brief synopsis with links to full text articles in HTML or PDF formats. Many of the full legal briefs may also be accessed online after signing up for a subscription service (e.g., Lexis, Westlaw). Any link that requires a fee to access information is noted by a “$” sign. Interested readers can freely review volumes of information on such contemporary legal matters as physician-assisted suicide, marijuana, and OxyContin. These materials are organized into categories of general information, regulatory matters, news stories, press releases, and legal cases. Additional sections on entitlements, disability and insurance; agencies and organizations; and the Mayday Pain Project, with helpful internet links (including all State Medical Boards), rounds out a very full complement of content available on this Web site.
This site is well organized and easy to navigate. One link to an HTML document was not working, but the full-text document was retrievable in the PDF format.
This site provides pertinent, current information and links that will be of interest to most APS members. The design makes this a valuable site for those out for a leisurely “surf” and those who need to find important case law, standards, legislative, or regulatory facts.
Reviewer content represents the opinion of the reviewer, not APS.
Please direct your suggestions for future Web Site Reviews to Michael E. Clark, PhD, Department Editor, at michaeleclark@highstream.net
