Pain. It's the most common reason people seek medical attention. In fact, more than 120 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, and 50 million workdays each year are lost due to chronic pain. When left unmanaged, pain can have devastating physiological and psychological effects, slowing recovery and increasing costs to the health care system. Yet, undertreatment of pain is perpetuated by common misperceptions about pain medication addiction and tolerance.

To increase knowledge and stimulate greater collaboration among U.S. health care leaders, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the American Pain Society will convene the Leadership Summit on Pain Management on Monday, May 22 in Chicago and Monday, July 31 in Los Angeles.

The Summit will examine the Joint Commission's new pain management standards, organizational change strategies, and legal and ethical issues.

The Joint Commission, the United States' leading evaluator of healthcare quality, requires that the standards be used by the nearly 18,000 hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, outpatient clinics, behavioral health facilities and health plans that the organization accredits.

The American Pain Society, a multidisciplinary professional organization, works to advance pain-related research, education, treatment and professional practice in all health care settings.

The summit is supported by an unrestricted grant from Purdue Pharma, L.P.

To learn more about the Summit and the Joint Commission's new pain management standards, contact Charlene Hill, [email protected], or Donna Larkin, [email protected] of the Joint Commission Media Relations Department, or visit the Joint Commission's Web site at http://www.jcaho.org.