The American Society of Anesthesiologists applauded HHS's newly released recommendations for pain management protocols.
Here's what you should know:
1. In December 2018, an HHS task force published a long-awaited draft report on best practices for acute and chronic pain management.
2. ASA said many of its own solutions align with the task force's recommendations. ASA President Linda Mason, MD, singled out the report's "emphasis on the importance of multimodal approaches for perioperative pain, including highlighting models like the Perioperative Surgical Home."
3. ASA Pain Medicine Committee Chair Asokumar Buvanendran, MD, delivered a presentation to the task force at its first meeting in May 2018 and commended the scope of the recommendations.
4. ASA supports the task force's recommendations for:
- Insurance coverage for evidence-based interventional procedures for chronic pain
- Ensuring patient access to pain treatments
- Improving prescription drug monitoring programs
- Patient and provider education
- Reducing stigma
- A review of the CDC guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain