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Pain Management
A Call for Papers
Catherine D. DeAngelis, MD, MPH
JAMA. 2002;288:2174.
Pleasure is nothing else but the intermission of pain.—John Seldez (1584-1654)
The management of pain is a continuing public health problem. Pain of all descriptions is one of the most frequently encountered complaints in physicians' offices, hospitals, chronic care facilities, and nursing homes. Virtually all health care professionals encounter patients with pain, whether it is acute or chronic; is due to trauma, surgery, arthritis, cancer, or other illnesses; or occurs as part of daily life or at the end of life. According to a World Health Organization study involving numerous countries, 22% of primary care patients reported persistent pain.1 Schnitzer2 reported that 75 million US adults experience chronic pain. Pain is difficult to document or study in some groups, such as children3-4 and neonates5 and older persons, but it does occur.6
Despite the development of new drugs and supportive therapies and documentation of their effectiveness, appropriate use to relieve pain remains poor.7-10 The management of pain has major implications for patient care, basic and clinical scientific research, and medico-legal and health care policy. Given the importance of pain management for all health professionals, JAMA and several Archives Journals will publish theme issues on this topic in November 2003. We invite authors to submit manuscripts involving original research including randomized clinical trials and high-quality observational research; systematic reviews; scholarly commentaries; and special communications addressing pain management. Basic science and translational research studies that provide insight to underlying mechanisms of pain and its management are also highly encouraged to be submitted.
Topics might include direct therapeutic interventions, ancillary support for patients and their families, and ethical issues. Areas of interest include pain management in the elderly, and in children; patients with cancer, human immunodeficiency virus, and other chronic illnesses; medico-legal implications of opioid and other medications; manipulative, neurostimulation, and rehabilitation therapies; complementary and alternative therapies; and ethical implications of treatment.
Authors should consult the JAMA Instructions for Authors for guidelines on manuscript submission and preparation.11 Manuscripts received before May 1, 2003, will have the best chance of acceptance for the November 12, 2003, JAMA theme issue.
Our goal for publication of a JAMA theme issue on pain management is to stimulate authors to report their research, and to enable clinicians to gain new insights to relieve pain in patients and afford them some pleasure.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Editorials represent the opinions of the authors and THE JOURNAL and not those of the American Medical Association.
Corresponding Author and Reprints: Catherine D. DeAngelis, MD, MPH, JAMA, 515 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610 (e-mail: Cathy_DeAngelis{at}ama-assn.org).
Author Affiliations: Dr DeAngelis is Editor, JAMA.
REFERENCES
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1. Guueje O, VonKorff M, Simon G, et al. Persistent pain and well-being: a World Health Organization study in primary care. JAMA. 1998;280:147-151.
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2. Schnitzer TJ. Non-NSAID pharmacologic treatment options for the management of chronic pain. Am J Med. 1998;105:45S-52S.
3. Ross DM, Ross SA. Childhood pain: the school-aged child's viewpoint. Pain. 1984;20:179-191.
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5. Taddio A, Shah V, Gilbert-Malleod L, et al. Conditioning and hyperalgesia in newborns exposed to repeated heel lances. JAMA. 2002;288:857-861.
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6. The management of persistent pain in older persons. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2002;50(6 suppl):S205-S224.
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9. Donovan M, Dillon P, McGuire L. Incidence and characteristics of pain in a sample of medical-surgical inpatients. Pain. 1987;30:69-87.
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10. Schechter NL. The undertreatment of pain in children: an overview. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1989;36:781-794
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11. JAMA instructions for authors. JAMA. 2002;288:108-114. Also available at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/info/auinst.html. Accessibility verified October 1, 2002.
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