An estimated 60 million Americans live with chronic pain, a condition that is more prevalent among the elderly. As the 75 million Baby Boomers move toward retirement, more and more Americans are expected to have untreated or undertreated pain. Left untreated or undertreated, individuals suffering from chronic pain become high utilizers of healthcare services to address their pain. Disease and case management programs that address chronic pain can reduce this often excessive healthcare utilization, while improving the quality of life for those suffering from chronic pain.

During Managing the Chronic Pain Patient: Strategies to Improve Quality of Life and Reduce Excessive Healthcare Utilization, a 90-minute webinar on June 11, 2008, two industry experts will describe the key features and outcomes of their organization’s chronic pain management programs.

Marilee I. Donovan, Ph.D., R.N., regional pain management coordinator, Kaiser Permanente, and Cheryl Pacella, D.N.P., R.N., performance advisor at MassPro, a performance improvement organization, will provide the inside details on their organization's efforts to improve pain management, including:

• Identifying and stratifying patients with chronic pain;
• Creating a consistent approach to pain assessment using standard tools and questions;
• Developing patient education and self-management techniques to meet patient needs;
• Creating partnerships with primary care practices to address the needs of the chronic pain patient through clinical guidelines;
• Combining pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment modalities for effective management;
• Setting up pain management programs to treat beyond the symptoms; and
• Reporting on outcomes and results from chronic pain management programs.

The webinar will be held on June 11, 2008 at 1:30 pm Eastern time.

Can't make the scheduled date and time of the conference? See the "On-Demand" or CD-ROM options described below.

You can "attend" this program right in your office and enjoy significant savings – no travel time or hassle; no hotel expenses. It’s so convenient! Invite your staff members to participate.

Your registration fee covers one telephone line from your site. Include as many individuals from your organization as you wish - there is no additional charge. Gather in a conference room and use a speakerphone.

HOW THE WEBINAR WORKS:

The conference lasts approximately 90 minutes with the last 30 minutes reserved for questions and answers.

No special equipment is needed; a toll-free number will be provided.

A week before the conference, you will receive instructions via e-mail on how to dial into the conference and access the conference handouts. So be sure to include your e-mail address!

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS:

You are invited to submit your questions in advance of the program to ensure that your questions are answered. Please e-mail your questions to mmatthews@hin.com no later than noon on June 6, 2008. We will attempt to answer your questions during the conference. However, time constraints limit the number of questions that can be answered during the live Q&A so be sure to get your questions in early.

WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS CONFERENCE?

CEOs, medical directors, disease management directors, managers and coordinators, health plan executives, care management nurses, business development and strategic planning directors and physician practice leaders.

REGISTRATION:

• $317 for the live webinar, conference on CD-ROM, PLUS a transcript of the conference proceedings ($367 after 6/6/08).
• $297 for a synchronized video recording and a transcript of the conference proceedings.
• $277 for the conference on CD-ROM and a transcript of the conference proceedings.
• $267 for the live webinar ($317 after 6/6/08).
• $267 for the On-Demand service, which provides you the opportunity to listen in at your leisure via your computer and a web browser (includes the agenda and presentation materials -- available 6/13/08).