November 18, 2011 – Toronto Rehabilitation Institute held the Pain Management Across the Continuum conference on November 18, 2011. Professionals from programs in acute care, community care and rehab settings attended the Pain Management conference in Toronto. By coming together to attain a better understanding of the challenges associated with pain assessment and management, participants were exposed to different tools for assessing pain and new strategies for managing pain in unique patient populations. The conference was made possible by the support of Toronto Rehab’s platinum sponsor, Devry Smith Frank LLP, and sapphire sponsor, Bergmanis, Preyra LLP.
In the first plenary session on improving opioid use for chronic non-cancer pain, Andrea Furlan, MD, PhD, presented new information from the Canadian Opioid Guideline. She described a structured way of prescribing opioids by giving clinicians four main focuses – what should be considered before writing an opioid prescription, how a trial of opioids should be initiated, how effectiveness and patient safety should be monitored, and when opioids should be decreased or stopped. With this approach, Dr. Furlan showed the audience how clinicians can use available resources to prescribe opioids and identify misuse.
Other plenary sessions covered topics such as comparisons between the acute care perspective and the rehab care perspective. Lynn Cooper, BES, president of the Canadian Pain Coalition, spoke about the complex process of transitioning from a rehab setting into the community. Mr. Cooper portrayed the transition process as a crossroads, with street signs pointing in every direction. Patients often experience a range of emotions – confusion, disorientation, bewilderment – and are unsure how to proceed back into their everyday lives. Mr. Cooper described methods of bridging the gaps in patient treatment and advocating for improved pain care.
The conference concluded with an interprofessional panel discussion moderated by Nancy Boaro, BScN, MN, CNN(C), CRN(C), advanced practice leader of the neurorehabilitation program at Toronto Rehab. The panel members – Cheryl Bower, RN(EC), MN, GNC(C), Debbie Daly Driver, RN (EC), MN, CRNC, GNC(C), Ruth Vallis, PT, MSc, and Anita Srivastava, MD – each offered a unique perspective in the discussion. By integrating a variety of health care perspectives, practitioners are working together toward the successful recovery of their patients.
For more information please visit: www.torontorehab.com/pain-management
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