Novel Pain Assessment and Intervention Network (RMI)

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A new interdisciplinary network, the "Novel Pain Assessment and Intervention Network (NoPAIN)" will be established to explore a measurement-to-management system for geriatric pain with the long-term goal of generating a new discipline of Clinical Infometrics. Clinical Infometrics as we envision it is a synthesis of patient assessment data with computer technology, information theory, and measurement science to improve the connection between research findings / guidelines with clinical practices. We have chosen geriatric pain because it is a complex and multidimensional construct that has a critical mass of assessment instruments that need refining and has known gaps between recommended and actual practices. Because of demographic changes, geriatric pain management demands particular attention; its successes in improvement will also likely be applicable to other areas. This project has three specific aims: 1) To bring together experts in bio-informatics, clinical and nursing research, and the social sciences to discuss the issue of pain among older patients; 2) To design a new interdisciplinary method that will characterize how Clinical Infometrics can work. This prototype will be an integrated clinical decision support system in pain (CDSS-Pain); and 3) To produce grant proposals to test and implement CDSS-Pain. The broad long-term objectives of the NoPAIN Network are: 1) To develop reliable and valid measures using state-of-the-art measurement models; 2) To develop predictive models of treatment outcomes by using sophisticated statistical techniques on large databases; 3) To develop tailored approaches using medical informatics for the integration of clinical guidelines and patient-reported information to facilitate informed patient-physician decision making; and 4) To develop and refine biobehavioral techniques for improving patient adherence to pain management and clinical adherence to guidelines. Although the focus of this network will be to explore the infrastructure and analytic methods of a CDSS-Pain, in the future it will also delve into other topics of interdisciplinary health research. Successful development of Clinical Infometrics will assist in translating therapies from the bench to the bedside for geriatric pain, and the methodologies that flow from it will have potential applications to other conditions and populations.