4 Thoughts on the Current Pain Management Environment

There are several outpatient specialties that evolved greatly over the past five years, and pain management is one that greatly differs from when it first hit the scene. At the 10th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference in Chicago on June 15, 2012, Holly Carnell, JD, associate at McGuireWoods, moderated a panel session with two leading pain management physicians, who discussed some of their thoughts on the pain management sector.

Fred Davis, MD, clinical assistant professor at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine, co-founder of Michigan Pain Specialists in Grand Rapids, Mich., and co-founder of ProCare Research, said pain practices have to deal with a lot of surrounding pressure. However, autonomy is still a feasible goal for any pain physician. “As we see consolidation in big box healthcare, small boutiques will be able to provide higher quality,” Dr. Davis said. “If you can demonstrate that you're providing the best outcomes and quality, especially something as complicated as pain, you can survive.”

John Prunskis, MD, president and medical director of the Illinois Pain Institute based in Elgin, concurred, saying there will always be opportunities to remain independent. In addition, there have been several innovations over the years that have changed the pain management specialty drastically, particularly fluoroscopy. “Without question, fluoroscopy has given us a way to precisely do procedures,” Dr. Prunskis said. Ultrasound has also made its way to the forefront for pain management physicians, he added.

When it comes to Medicare reimbursement, Drs. Davis and Prunskis said they do not opt out of the program because it is too essential to their model, and the rise of the baby boomers will only make Medicare more important in pain management.

Ms. Carnell ended the session with a dose of politics, asking both panelists their thoughts on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Dr. Prunskis said he would not repeal PPACA, and instead he would add a professional liability reform provision. Dr. Davis added that no matter how the Supreme Court rules on the law, the system is well on its way to reform, including expanding health coverage to those who need it. “We have a huge escalating cost,” Dr. Davis said. “We have to get our arms around the patients without access and provide some type of care.”

More Articles on the 10th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management Conference:

6 Best Practices for Successful Orthopedic and Spine-Driven Hospitals

8 Ways ASCs Can Prepare for ICD-10

9 Great Ideas for Quality Improvement Studies

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