Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research
On June 29th, 2011, the IOM released its study titled ‘Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research’ which outlines the state of the science of pain prevention, care, and research, and provides a comprehensive review of the gaps in education both of health care providers and the patients themselves. The report states that the public health burden of pain affects fully one-third of the American people at a cost of at least $560-635 billion annually.
This study was conducted in response to provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, in which the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), charged the Institute of Medicine (IOM) with assessing the public health burden of pain, reviewing the adequacy of pain research, care, and education, and identifying barriers to improved pain care.
NIH is committed to supporting research to improve the health of the American people and advance the scientific understanding of pain and the treatments available to those suffering in pain. This report provides an important blueprint to guide efforts to work together with multiple partners across the private and public sectors to transform pain care in the U.S.