Describe pain treatment options available to various populations of patients.

Description should include

• special populations in pain management, such as palliative/end-of-life care patients, patients with cancer, pediatric patients, and geriatric populations
• non-pharmacologic treatment of pain, including active care and self-care, evidence- and non-evidence-based approaches, and multimodal pain management
• non-opioid pharmacologic management of pain
• the challenges in discussing the psychological aspects of pain and the role of the central nervous system
• adverse drug event prevention for all pain medications
• the roles in an interdisciplinary pain management team
• the significance of issues such as anxiety, depression, and sleep deprivation in pain management
• the placebo effect
• goals and expectations in the treatment of pain, based on diagnosis and pain continuum
• when to make a pain referral and to whom.

Process/Skill Questions:

• What pain management resources are available for special populations?
• What are alternative forms of pain management?
• What role does the mind play in pain management?

Teacher Resources:

• Fact Sheet for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain Links to an external site., CDC
• Healthcare Providers Links to an external site., CDC