Publications
APS Bulletin • Volume 15, Number 3, Summer 2005
Web Site Reviews
Michael E. Clark, PhD, Department Editor
University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center Pain & Policy Studies Group
Reviewed by Ronald J. Gironda, PhD
Site Audience
This is the home page of the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center Pain & Policy Studies Group (PPSG). This Web site’s goal is “to facilitate public access to information about pain relief and public policy, including material published by the PPSG and other authoritative sources.” The site intends to appeal to patients, healthcare providers and researchers, and professionals in related disciplines who are interested in domestic and international pain policy issues.
Content Appraisal
The PPSG site features an impressive wealth of pain policy information, including several original summaries of domestic and international pain policies and a large library of reprinted articles, position papers, guidelines, and regulations collected from a variety of public and private sources. Of particular interest to APS members may be the large collection of resources offered to healthcare providers who want to develop a better understanding of the complex web of federal and state policies governing the use of opioid analgesics. Additionally, a database of state laws, regulations, and other official governmental policies provides a comprehensive catalog of all existing regulations for each state. Also available is a link to Cancer Pain Release, a publication of the World Health Organization that is dedicated to improving cancer pain control and palliative care. All 16 volumes of this journal are available here free of charge. Finally, the usefulness of this site is augmented by a bibliography (with links to full-text documents), a glossary, and a list of links to related sites. There are no commercial banners or hyperlinks.
Navigation/Ease of Use
The site is fully accessible to anyone, requires no registration, and appears to be updated regularly. It is relatively simple in graphical design and easy to navigate. The information is logically organized into general categories and presented in a straightforward, readily accessible manner. The branches of information are nicely cross-linked, although there is no index to provide a quick overview of the entire site. The search engine is effective and easy to use, but does not provide an option for advanced search strategies.
Recommendations
This site may be most useful to APS members as a source of specific information about federal and state policies regulating pain treatment practice.
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.