Meeting the Challenge of Pain Management in an Ever-Evolving Opioid Epidemic

Credits Available:

4.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™, 4.5 ANCC contact hours, 4.5 ACPE contact hours

• Meeting the Challenge of Pain Management in an Ever-Evolving Opioid Epidemic - Baseline Assessment

  How much do you already know about safe opioid prescribing? This short self-assessment activity will let you test your knowledge about this ongoing public health challenge. Please follow the prompts to complete the self-assessment.

• Self Study Module 1: The Epidemiology of Pain

  Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid overdose epidemic had entered a fourth, increasingly deadly phase. This self-study module reviews the key epidemiologic trends that clinicians need to know about today’s challenging and constantly evolving pain management landscape.

• Self Study Module 2: Assessment of Pain and Initiation of Treatment

  Your initial assessment may be the most important factor in devising an effective pain management plan that also prioritizes patient safety. This self-study module outlines prescribing, patient education, and risk mitigation strategies for appropriate opioid prescribing.

• Self Study Module 3: Acute Pain Management

  How confident are you about when to use—and when to avoid—opioids for patients with acute pain? This self-study module will help you determine whether the benefits of a short course of opioids are likely to outweigh the risks.

• Self Study Module 4: Chronic Pain Management

  Chronic pain is common—yet it is uniquely challenging to manage appropriately, especially when the patient has risk factors for opioid misuse and/or comorbidities. This self-study module provides guidance on how to balance the benefits and risks/harms of opioid therapy.

• Self Study Module 5: Prescribing Guidelines and Specialist Care

  Healthcare providers who prescribe opioids must remain up to date on both federal and state requirements for opioid prescribing. These requirements change periodically, and it is up to the healthcare provider to make sure that they are familiar with the requirements that pertain

• Self Study Module 6: Opioid Misuse and Opioid Use Disorder

  Despite effective treatments for opioid use disorder, overdose death rates continue to climb. This self-study module shows how clinicians, including primary care providers, can improve outcomes in patients receiving opioid treatment through careful education and monitoring.

• Meeting the Challenge of Pain Management in an Ever-Evolving Opioid Epidemic - Final Assessment

  This Final Assessment will complete the Self Study section.

• Meet and Greet (optional)

  Please use this session to gather the group and share an overview of the course plus answer questions.

• Areas of Challenge Specific to the Group Regarding the Assessment and Management of Pain and Opioid Use Disorder

  This Live Group Discussion will focus on the Baseline self-assessment and the content of the self-study modules. Group Members are encouraged to actively participate by discussing any challenges they are encountering and responding to other members' contributions.

• Assessing Pain and Developing a Treatment Plan for a Patient with Chronic Pain

  This Group Task will enable you to practice the clinical skills that are necessary to safely and effectively prescribe opioids as part of a pain control treatment plan.

Thank you for your interest. Currently, the curriculum is closed for enrollment but we encourage you to keep an eye out for future opportunities or alternative programs that might align with your educational goals.

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