Volume 8, No. 3 • Fall 1993

Guidelines for Pain Management MD’s Are Published

A document entitled ‘Critical knowledge and technical competence required of physicians involved in interventional pain management’ has been developed by a task force organized by the Dannemiller Memorial Educational Foundation, an organizer of anesthesiology continuing medical education (CME) programs since its inception in 1984.

These guidelines arose from a need perceived by the Dannemiller group and specifically its President, Alon P. Winnie, M.D. of Chicago, due to the absence of any widely accepted standards of care concerning interventional pain management and, expecially, implantable pain control devices.

The Dannemiller task force comprised Drs. Winnie, Marshall D. Bedder of Portland, OR, Roger Cicala of Memphis, Elliott J. Krames of San Francisco, Carl Noback of Las Vegas, Gabor Racz of Lubbock, TX, and Steven D. Waldman of Leawood, KS.

Contained in the guidelines document are sections on: scientific basis, patient selection, patient management, implant techniques, practice considerations, and minimum requirements for physicians (such as a prerequisite of at least 16 hours of directly related CME, four of which should involve supervised hands-on surgical experience implanting devices).

A copy of the document and further information can be obtained from the Dannemiller Foundation; 12500 Network Blvd., Suite 101; San Antonio, TX 78249-3302; (512) 641-8311.