Dr. Friedhelm Sandbrink, VHA National Program Director for Pain Management discusses the need to assure access and quality of pain care services, and the research that is going into it. Drs. Lauren Hollrah, PsyD and Aram Mardian, MD aim to clear up the confusion around the criteria for DSM-5 diagnosis of Opioid User Disorder with an Education Corner piece. While the VA offers many programs to foster human connections and support, Dr. Heidi Klingbeil, talks about how happier people feel better, and while that sounds easy enough, she encourages physicians to assess the patient as a whole person and develop evaluation skills that are not simply a check off item on a template. Other topics in the newsletter address studies and papers tackling pain management.
pain research
The SPACE Randomized Clinical Trial, led by Erin Krebs, MD, MS, showed that opioids do not result in better pain-related function or reduced pain intensity when compared to non-opioids. (VA photo by April Eilers)
Robert Kerns, PhD, spoke with JAMA about the creation of the Pain Management Collaboratory and its goals for this multi-agency initiative.
Robert D. Kerns, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, of Neurology and of Psychology, has been appointed to serve as a member of the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC) of the National Institutes of Health.
The Sequential Multiple Randomization Trial for Low Back Pain (SMART LBP Trial) will enable better integration of the biopsychosocial model and improve Stepped Care management with a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial targeting chronic low back pain at four large military installations in the United States.
Co-Principal Investigators:
Julie M. Fritz, PT, PhD, FAPTA and Dan Rhon, PT, DPT, DSc, OCS, FAAOMPT
Dr. Steve Martino and Dr. Marc Rosen, both substance use researchers at VA Connecticut Healthcare System in New Haven, aim to introduce the array of services available through VA to Veterans who are suffering from pain.
