CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW
Recommendations
1. Clinicians should reassure patients and their families that most
pain can be relieved safely and effectively (A).
2. Clinicians should assess patients and, if pain is present, provide
optimal relief throughout the course of illness (Panel Consensus).
3. Curricula for health professionals should include sufficient
content on pain to prepare clinicians to assess and manage pain effectively
(Panel Consensus). Clinicians should include patient and family education about
pain and its management in the treatment plan and encourage patients to be
active participants in pain management (A). Federal, State, and local laws and
regulatory polices should not hamper the appropriate use of opioid analgesics
for cancer pain (Panel Consensus). Clinicians should collaborate with patients
and families, taking costs of drugs and technologies into account in selecting
pain management strategies (Panel Consensus).
Barriers to Effective Pain Management
ASSESSMENT OF PAIN IN THE PATIENT WITH CANCER
Under development
Patient Education Program Content
Sources of Information for Patients and Their Families
How to Find Local Support Groups
Assessment
MONITORING THE QUALITY OF PAIN MANAGEMENT
Index