Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pain Management for July 2015. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
CDC: 20 Percent of U.S. Adults Have a Disability
FRIDAY, July 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More than 50 million Americans live with a physical or mental disability, according to research published in the July 31 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
AMA Wants Doctor Input on EHRs, Meaningful Use
FRIDAY, July 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The American Medical Association (AMA) is encouraging clinicians to share their perspectives on electronic heath records (EHRs) and the meaningful use program.
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U.K. Study: Alcohol Use Tied to Less Disability in Chronic Pain
FRIDAY, July 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Moderate to heavy drinking might cut the likelihood of disability for people with chronic widespread pain such as that related to fibromyalgia, according to new research published online July 20 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Total Knee Arthroplasty Effective Option for Rheumatoid Arthritis
FRIDAY, July 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Total knee arthroplasty can temporarily return the joint to an earlier, better level of function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, new research suggests. The study was published online July 20 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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U.S. Health Spending Projected to Rise 5.8 Percent By 2024
FRIDAY, July 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — From 2014 to 2024, U.S. health spending growth is projected to increase by about 6 percent, according to a report published online July 28 in Health Affairs.
Recalcitrant Back Pain Could Be Vertebral Osteomyelitis
THURSDAY, July 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Vertebral osteomyelitis should be considered in cases of back or neck pain unresponsive to conservative measures and elevated inflammatory markers with or without fever, according to new guidelines from the Infectious Disease Society of America published online July 29 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Home-Based Device Beneficial for Obese Patients With Knee OA
THURSDAY, July 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For obese individuals, a novel, biomechanical, home-based gait-training device is associated with improvements in gait parameters at three and 12 months, according to a study published online July 28 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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U.S. Medical Groups Fighting Prescription Opioid Abuse
THURSDAY, July 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Led by the American Medical Association (AMA), a group of 27 major U.S. medical organizations are banding together to tackle the continuing epidemic of opioid abuse.
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2015 MOC Program Expected to Cost $5.7 Billion Over 10 Years
WEDNESDAY, July 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The 2015 version of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) maintenance-of-certification (MOC) program is expected to generate considerable costs, mainly due to physician time costs, according to research published online July 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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No Lasting Value for Minimally Invasive Lumbar Laminotomy
TUESDAY, July 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with neural foraminal or lateral recess stenosis with unilateral leg neurogenic symptoms (NS), a minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approach offers no advantage over an open lumbar laminotomy approach in the longer term, according to a study published in the Aug. 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
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Patients Report Improved Care Access, Better Health With ACA
TUESDAY, July 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Millions more Americans have affordable health insurance, access to a personal doctor, and feel they are in better health following the first two open-enrollment periods of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new analysis shows. The results are published in the July 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Not All Placebos Are Equal in Knee Osteoarthritis
TUESDAY, July 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Not all placebos are equally effective for knee osteoarthritis and some can trigger clinically relevant responses, according to a review published online July 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Delays Noted in the Reporting of Serious Patient Harms to FDA
MONDAY, July 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About 10 percent of cases where a drug does serious harm are not reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration within the required 15-day period, according to a new analysis published online July 27 as a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Earlier Physical Therapy May Help Older Patients With Back Pain
MONDAY, July 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For older adults presenting to their primary care providers with a new visit for back pain, early referral to physical therapy (PT) services results in no clinically meaningful differences in outcomes; however, the extent of improvement in symptoms may be greater, according to a study published in the Aug. 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
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Cannabis Alleviates Peripheral Neuropathic Pain in Diabetes
FRIDAY, July 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A small trial shows a dose-dependent reduction in peripheral neuropathic pain in patients with diabetes, according to a study published in the July issue of The Journal of Pain.
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Expansion of High-Deductible Plans to Impact Physician Care
FRIDAY, July 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — As a result of the increasing popularity of high-deductible health care plans, patients now have more financial responsibility for medical services, which is impacting physician practices, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Ginger May Be Effective for Relieving Primary Dysmenorrhea
THURSDAY, July 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Ginger is effective for reducing pain in individuals with primary dysmenorrhea, according to a review published online July 14 in Pain Medicine.
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Lidocaine Patches Don’t Cut Pain After Robotic Cardiac Valve Sx
WEDNESDAY, July 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing robotic cardiac valve surgery, lidocaine 5 percent patches do not reduce acute or persistent pain, according to a study published online July 14 in Pain Medicine.
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Patients Not Talking About Using Alternative Therapies for Pain
MONDAY, July 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many Americans with chronic pain who use alternative therapies — such as acupuncture — don’t discuss these treatments with their doctors, new research finds. The study was published online July 20 in the American Journal of Managed Care.
CMS May Adopt Doctors’ Calls for End-of-Life Counseling
FRIDAY, July 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would implement physicians’ calls to pay for end-of-life counseling, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Clinicians May Harbor Biases About Sexual Orientation
FRIDAY, July 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Clinicians may be biased when it comes to the sexual orientation of patients, new research suggests. The study was published online July 16 in the American Journal of Public Health.
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AMA Suggests Ways to Encourage Use of Patient Portals
THURSDAY, July 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Measures can be taken to encourage patients to use patient portals to help ensure practices meet current Stage 2 meaningful use requirements, according to an article published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Choosing Wisely: How to Implement in Clinical Practice
THURSDAY, July 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Strategies should be adopted to help with implementation of the Choosing Wisely program, which was designed to address the problem of medical overuse, according to an article published in the July/August issue of Family Practice Management.
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Antidepressant+NSAID May Raise Risk of Intracranial Hemorrhage
WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Of more than four million people prescribed a first-time antidepressant, those who also used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) had a higher risk of intracranial hemorrhage within the next month. The findings were published online July 14 in The BMJ.
Progress in Reporting Conflict of Interest Among IRB Members
TUESDAY, July 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Among institutional review board (IRB) members, there has been positive progress in the reporting and management of conflicts of interest, according to a study published online July 13 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Arts Observation Curriculum May Be Beneficial for Medical Students
TUESDAY, July 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Use of an arts observation curriculum can help students learn to observe objectively and articulate their observations, which are important traits for clinical practice, according to an article published online July 3 in Academic Medicine.
Weight Loss Predicts Mortality in Rheumatoid Arthritis
MONDAY, July 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Weight loss is a strong predictor of mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online June 26 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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Coronary Artery Disease Ups Risk of Bowel Bleeds With NSAIDs
MONDAY, July 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with coronary artery disease are at higher risk of small bowel bleeding (SBB) when taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), according to research published online July 6 in the Journal of Digestive Diseases.
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Lifestyle Intervention Can Ward Off Obesity-Related Knee Pain
MONDAY, July 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For overweight adults with diabetes mellitus, an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) can prevent knee pain, according to a study published in the July issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
FDA Strengthens Heart Attack, Stroke Warning for NSAIDs
FRIDAY, July 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S Food and Drug Administration on Thursday strengthened the warning labels for non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), regarding increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
CDC: Heroin Use Up Among Women, Wealthier People
WEDNESDAY, July 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The face of heroin addiction in the United States is changing, as groups with historically lower rates of heroin use, including women and people with private insurance and higher incomes, are becoming users, federal officials reported Tuesday. The findings were published in the July 7 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Researchers ID Patients More Prone to Long-Term Opioid Use
TUESDAY, July 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with prior histories of drug abuse, or current or former smokers, are more likely to go beyond a short-term prescription for opioids, according to research published in the July issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
HIV-Infected Patients Frequently Have Chronic Pain
TUESDAY, July 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many HIV-infected patients have chronic pain, which frequently co-occurs with high levels of depression symptoms, according to a study published online June 27 in Pain Medicine.
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Court Upholds Medical Liability Damages Cap
TUESDAY, July 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The non-economic damages cap under the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) has been upheld again in a California court of appeal, according to a report published by the American Medical Association.
Despite Risk to Patients, Health Providers Often Work While Sick
MONDAY, July 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many health care professionals work when they are sick, putting their patients at risk for serious illness or even death, according to a study published online July 6 in JAMA Pediatrics.
Adolescent Lifestyle Not Strongly Tied to Later Muscular Pain
MONDAY, July 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Adverse health behaviors in adolescence are only moderately associated with later musculoskeletal pain in adulthood, according to a study published in the June issue of Pain Medicine.
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Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Offer Multiple Benefits
THURSDAY, July 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs), frequently utilized by emergency medicine physicians and designed to help identify patients who “doctor shop” for prescriptions, are used to guide clinical decisions and opioid prescribing, as well as to facilitate discussions and provide patient education. The findings were published in the June issue of Pain Medicine.
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Public Opinion Sought on New Licensure for Assistant Physicians
WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New classification of licensure for assistant physicians has been created, and public opinion is being sought by the Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts prior to filing these rules with the Secretary of State’s Office and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
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