Pain and Addiction Care in the Emergency Department: Improvements Through An Accreditation Program

Thursday, April 13, 2023

9:45 AM – 11:00 AM

Location: International Ballroom Section E OMNI

Presenter(s)

Stephen H. Anderson, MD, FACEP

Chair of the Board of Directors
The Naloxone Project
American College of Emergency Physicians
Chelan, Washington
Nima Majlesi, DO

Director of Medical Toxicology
Staten Island University Hospital/Northwell Health
Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Staten Island, New York

Moderator(s)

David M. Dickerson, MD

Section Chief, Pain Medicine, and Medical Director, Anesthesia Pain Services Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
NorthShore University HealthSystem
University of Chicago
Evanston, Illinois

The United States is in the throes of a public health crisis, the opioid epidemic, as more than two million Americans have become dependent on or abused prescription pain pills and street drugs. Emergency department (ED) clinicians are in a unique position to treat acute pain by providing optimal analgesia, educating patients, and combating the opioid epidemic. To ensure hospital ED staff is aligned with best practices and prepared to fight the epidemic, the American College of Emergency Physicians developed the Pain and Addiction Care in the Emergency Department (PACED) accreditation program. PACED accreditation ensures quality, patient safety, communication, responsibility, and clarity in the management of ED patients suffering from pain and addiction. The primary aim of this program is to accelerate the transfer of knowledge about acute pain management and secure appropriate resources to care for patients.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the PACED program and associated parameters, such as goals, eligibility, and criteria
Identify the strengths and benefits of accreditation for multiple stakeholders including, hospitals, clinical staff, and patients
Describe multiple efforts by the American College of Emergency Physicians to help lead the national ED-based response to the opioid epidemic through the accreditation program augmented with policies, comprehensive toolkits, robust learning platforms, and timely research