USA's IoM calls for change in attitude on pain and its management

Every year, at least 116 million adult Americans experience chronic pain, a condition that costs the nation hundreds of billion dollars annually, says a new report from the USA’s Institute of Medicine. Much of this pain is preventable or could be better managed, added the committee that wrote the report. The study was mandated by Congress and sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

The committee called for coordinated, national efforts of public and private organizations to create a cultural transformation in how the nation understands and approaches pain management and prevention. Some of the recommended changes can be implemented by the end of 2012 while others should be in place by 2015 and maintained as ongoing efforts.