NCJ Number
242548
Date Published
October 2012
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This document presents clinical guidelines for chronic noncancer pain management in correctional settings.
Abstract
This document, from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, presents clinical guidelines for chronic noncancer pain management in correctional settings. These guidelines are intended for use by correctional health care clinicians to improve patient outcomes and promote better and more efficient use of resources. The guidelines discuss the problems associated with management of chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) in a correctional setting. Some of these problems include the increased risk of opioid dependence in the prison population, limited access to pain specialists, and continuity of opioid treatment postrelease. The guidelines contain five main sections: evaluation of the patient; development of a treatment plan that includes both nonpharmacological and pharmacological methods; monitoring of the patient on a frequent basis; education of correctional staff on the problems of CNCP; and use of quality improvement measures to determine the effectiveness of CNCP management methods. The final section of the guidelines contains a list of recommended resources to support evidence-based practice and quality improvement.