UCSF Postgraduate Certificate in Pain Management / Online Program

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Why Enroll?

The program is designed to improve the skills and knowledge of physicians, psychologists, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, research professionals, physician assistants, and physical or occupational therapists in the principles and practices of pain management.  Students who complete the program earn the “Certificate of Completion of the Graduate Curriculum in Pain Management” from the University of California, and will be better prepared to meet requirements of the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and other regulatory and accrediting bodies.

Do I Really Need More Training in Pain Management?

Pain is the number one presenting symptom for most medical conditions. In the U.S. alone:

• 25 million people suffer acute pain while another 50 million endure chronic pain¹
• Over $100 billion is lost annually due to reduced productivity at work and medical costs resulting from patients who experience pain²
• By the year 2011, 1 in 4 people will be 65 years of age or older, further increasing the number of patients in pain needing help.

So dire had the quality of pain care become in U.S. hospitals and other healthcare facilities that the American Pain Society (APS) and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) were compelled to act. In 1996, APS labeled pain as the "5th Vital Sign™", and in 2000, JCAHO issued guidelines to hospitals to staff each floor with a "pain resource nurse".

If you are a healthcare provider, you will see patients in pain. This program can help you.

References

1. Pain: Current Understanding of Assessment, Management, and Treatments. National Pharmaceutical Council, Inc. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. December 2001. Patricia H. Berry, PhD, APRN, BC, CHPN, C. Richard Chapman, PhD, Edward C. Covington, MD, June L. Dahl, PhD, Jeffrey A. Katz, MD, Christine Miaskowski, RN, PhD, FAAN, Michael J. McLean, MD, PhD.
2. National Pain Awareness Campaign: The Cost of Lost Productivity Due to Pain. National Pain Foundation and American Academy of Pain Medicine.