CME Sponsor:
Dannemiller

Course Instructors:
Bruce Allen Ferrell, MD
Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Los Angeles, California

Number of Credits:

Physicians: 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s).™
Nurse Practitioners: 1.0 Contact Hour
Nurses: 1.2 Contact hours
Pharmacists: 1.0 Contact Hour


Registration Fee: Free

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Detailed Description: 


Studies indicate that over 62% of nursing home residents and 25-50% of community-dwelling residents suffer significant pain. As the rank of individuals 65 years and older continues to rise, frailty and chronic diseases associated with pain will likely increase. Thus, a significant challenge will face primary care physicians in the area of pain management in older adults. Unfortunately, according to a recent statement in AARP, The Magazine, only three percent of all medical schools in the United States offer separate courses in pain management. Since virtually all health care providers treat older patients to some extent during their careers and will likely do so more frequently as the geriatric population continues to grow, a minimal level of competence in geriatric care is vital.

Research literature also indicates that pain continues to be grossly under reported by geriatric patients, which leads to misdiagnosis and improper management by healthcare providers. In turn, geriatric patients withhold reporting pain because they fear loss of independence and believe that pain is a natural part of the aging process. Thus, proper pain assessment is critical in the treatment plan for any geriatric patient. Pain assessment must be regular, systematic, and documented. When possible, use of an interdisciplinary team approach to assessing and managing pain in the elderly is encouraged. A greater understanding of clinical manifestations of pain, improved methods of assessment, and use of both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions can result in more favorable outcomes in the treatment of older adults for pain.


Learning Objectives:

  • Describe how the approach to pain management is different for older adults compared to younger adults.
  • Evaluate pain more accurately in elderly persons, including those with cognitive impairment.
  • Identify age-related physiological and pharmacological changes that effect drug prescribing for older adults.
  • Appropriately prescribe analgesic drugs for older adults.