Not Just Pills
Policy statement
Incorporate non-pharmacological complementary and alternative treatments with conventional medicine to treat complex chronic pain conditions as a collaborative and integral part of the health care system.
Supporting background research
Chronic pain is a serious problem with more than 40 million adults suffering from severe pain as reported by the National Institute for Health (NIH) (2010). According to the NIH (2010), chronic pain sufferers use more health care, have worse overall health, and have more disability. The NIH estimates the economic cost of chronic pain at $635 billion annually within the United States from both healthcare costs and lost worker productivity (NIH, 2010).
The American Academy of …show more content…
As organizations familiar with creating policies to better help their supporters, the ANA or AANP can help to obtain a consultant to help draft the policy. Once the policy draft is completed, identify a legislator willing to help introduce the policy to become a bill in the government. This legislator would need to be sympathetic to medical causes. In addition, a legislator who is a known supporter of the Affordable Care Act would be ideal as they may be interested in expanding the coverage of complementary and alternative medical approaches to treating medical conditions.
Allies of this proposed policy are numerous and will include the ANA, the AAPN, the National Association of Certified Nurse Specialists, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicines, the American Academy of Pain Management, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, and the National Association for Chiropractic …show more content…
This would include increased research into complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) through increased funding. A survey could be used to gather data on the public use of complementary and alternative medicines. The next step in the plan to influence policy change would be relationship building and education of policy decision makers. The first step in this part of the plan would be to educate policy makers on CAM. Dinners would be hosted where prospective players would learn and experience firsthand CAM with hands-on demonstrations while introducing the proposed policy. The dinners would also include 5-minute speeches about the represented CAM while providing policy makers with short fact sheets about the different CAM. Allies of the proposed policy can help fund these dinners to spread awareness. The allies of the policy along with public supporters can make calls to policy makers urging them to lend their support to the proposed policy. In addition, brief presentations at local pain symposiums and forums about the use of CAM for chronic pain conditions can be used. In order to keep and sustain key medical providers for the support of CAM, workshops about CAM with available CEUs will be utilized. The final step in the plan to influence change includes mobilizing public support. Public support can be obtained through advertisements including mailings, emails, posters,
Policy statement
Incorporate non-pharmacological complementary and alternative treatments with conventional medicine to treat complex chronic pain conditions as a collaborative and integral part of the health care system.
Supporting background research
Chronic pain is a serious problem with more than 40 million adults suffering from severe pain as reported by the National Institute for Health (NIH) (2010). According to the NIH (2010), chronic pain sufferers use more health care, have worse overall health, and have more disability. The NIH estimates the economic cost of chronic pain at $635 billion annually within the United States from both healthcare costs and lost worker productivity (NIH, 2010).
The American Academy of …show more content…
As organizations familiar with creating policies to better help their supporters, the ANA or AANP can help to obtain a consultant to help draft the policy. Once the policy draft is completed, identify a legislator willing to help introduce the policy to become a bill in the government. This legislator would need to be sympathetic to medical causes. In addition, a legislator who is a known supporter of the Affordable Care Act would be ideal as they may be interested in expanding the coverage of complementary and alternative medical approaches to treating medical conditions.
Allies of this proposed policy are numerous and will include the ANA, the AAPN, the National Association of Certified Nurse Specialists, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicines, the American Academy of Pain Management, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, and the National Association for Chiropractic …show more content…
This would include increased research into complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) through increased funding. A survey could be used to gather data on the public use of complementary and alternative medicines. The next step in the plan to influence policy change would be relationship building and education of policy decision makers. The first step in this part of the plan would be to educate policy makers on CAM. Dinners would be hosted where prospective players would learn and experience firsthand CAM with hands-on demonstrations while introducing the proposed policy. The dinners would also include 5-minute speeches about the represented CAM while providing policy makers with short fact sheets about the different CAM. Allies of the proposed policy can help fund these dinners to spread awareness. The allies of the policy along with public supporters can make calls to policy makers urging them to lend their support to the proposed policy. In addition, brief presentations at local pain symposiums and forums about the use of CAM for chronic pain conditions can be used. In order to keep and sustain key medical providers for the support of CAM, workshops about CAM with available CEUs will be utilized. The final step in the plan to influence change includes mobilizing public support. Public support can be obtained through advertisements including mailings, emails, posters,