Pain: 5th Vital Sign - Pain Management Message Board

Wes1212 · 07-16-2003, 06:00 AM

Hi. I'm having a time locating that there is a law that provides for "Pain: 5th Vital Sign".

I see that "the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations (JCAHO) now requires that physicians consider pain as a "5th vital sign" in evaluating patients."
[url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_u ids=11587108&dopt=Abstract"]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_u ids=11587108&dopt=Abstract[/url]

And that the VA has "Pain as the 5th Vital Sign: Take 5
Section 1: Introduction Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Pain Management Strategy
[url="http://www.va.gov/oaa/pocketcard/Section1.asp"]http://www.va.gov/oaa/pocketcard/Section1.asp[/url]

"HCR ManorCare: Pain: Understanding the 5th Vital Sign. September 23, 1999; Cleveland, Ohio (course director and lecturer)." as well as a few other books and lectures with similar titles.

I just can't find any hard law stating this fact. It seems to be debated and discussed more than anything.

any help?

Thanks,

Wes

painintheneck2 · 07-16-2003, 06:13 AM

I'm not sure if this is the same thing that you are referring to but look under your states Board of Medical Examiners on the web. I did that for my state and discovered that by law a physician must treat your pain. In other words a doctor cannot turn you away, he must in some form or fashion treat your pain. I wish I could find that section again, but I read it awhile back while doing some research and it stuck with me because I hadn't known that little fact before. Anyway it gives us patients a little ammo whenever or ifever we run into a doc who doesn't acknowledge and/or treat our pain.

This prob has nothing to do with what you are referring to, but it's good for others to know.

cinnomore · 07-16-2003, 08:14 AM

IN REALATION TO YOUR STATEMENT, I AGREE WITH YOU TOTALLY. HOW CAN A DOCTOR TURN YOU DOWN WHEN YOUR IN PAIN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT EITHER. SOMEONE TOLD ME THIS, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE ITS TRUE, BUT WANTED SOME INPUT ON THIS, THAT SAY IF A DOCTOR STARTS YOU ON A PAIN MED, SUCH AS PECOCET, AND HE KEEPS GIVING YOU THEM FOR A FEW YEARS, CAN HE JUST CUT YOU OFF COLD TURKEY THAT , OR DOES HE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO GIVE THEM TO YOU. I QUIT TAKING VIKES LAST WEEK AND AM SO GLAD THAT I DID, I WAS HEADING DOWN A VERY BAD ROAD, THANK GOD FOR THE PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD, THEY GOT ME ON THE RIGHT ROAD.

Wes1212 · 07-16-2003, 07:16 PM

[url="http://www.medsch.wisc.edu/painpolicy/index.htm"]http://www.medsch.wisc.edu/painpolicy/index.htm[/url]

[This message has been edited by Wes1212 (edited 07-16-2003).]

Jack Beanstalk · 07-16-2003, 08:45 PM

I,m sure most of you remember good ol,Skip Baker.He,s done more than anybody I know of to help CPers.On his old site,I recall JACHO reps stating info on the pain as a vital sign issue as being made law.I,m just unsure of the coverage,if it was a state-by-state deal or a national one.It states that it is now the law that a patient being admitted into a hospital or ER,Primecare,etc.had to have their levels of pain treated as a vital sign.This became effective as of Jan.1,2000.Jack Beanstalk