It can seem, sometimes, like the federal government is weighing in on pain care without understanding what patients go through. Fortunately, a new task force charged with creating recommendations for pain management has worked hard to include the patient perspective.

This task force, called the Pain Management Best Practices Intra-Agency Task Force, recently released a much-anticipated draft report with recommendations for managing acute and chronic pain. After a 90-day public comment period ending April 1, the report will be finalized and submitted to Congress.

“We are pleased to see that the report emphasizes the importance of individualized, multi-modal, patient-centered care,” says Nicole Hemmenway, interim CEO of U.S. Pain Foundation. “In particular, the recommendations aim to put to rest issues and inconsistencies in policies at relevant federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.”

It is incredibly important that people with pain share their feedback on the report. Does it go far enough in encouraging effective pain care? Does it not go far enough? Tell the task force what you think.

Make sure your voice is heard

Visit our online toolkit for more details about the report and how to comment. Watch a webinar with Cindy Steinberg, the only patient and patient advocacy representative on the task force, with her perspective on the report and tips for commenting. Watch and share this educational video!