Increasing access to pain Management programs using the internet

INCREASING ACCESS TO PAIN MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS USING THE INTERNET

Presenter: Dear B

Dr Blake Dear will contribute as a Psychologist with special expertise in

the development and delivery of innovative online e-health programs for

anxiety, depression and persistent pain.

There is strong evidence that timely access to multidisciplinary pain

management can significantly reduce the disability, anxiety and depression

associated with chronic pain. However, access to multidisciplinary pain

management programs is significantly limited, both nationally and

internationally. Common barriers to these programs include the direct

and indirect costs, mobility limitations, long waitlists, distance and their

decreasing availability outside of metropolitan areas. This has led several

research groups to explore the potential of using the internet to deliver

the psychological component of pain management programs as a way of

increasing access to treatment. This presentation will briefly describe

the results of several Australian clinical trials examining the efficacy of an

internet-delivered pain management program.

CPD Points: 0.25