The IP Network: A Case for Intractable Pain Centers, Part II
by Forest Tennant, MD DrPH and Marvin Rosenfeld
 In the last issue of Practical Pain Management (September/October
2004, Volume 4, Issue 5), the subject was the Intractable Pain Center — a facility to
which family physicians and internists could refer their chronic pain patients whom they
classified as suffering from intractable pain. The authors reiterate that the objective of
this series is to promote the creation of IP centers in every community in the U.S.
Epidemiologic surveys clearly indicate that the number of intractable pain cases in every
community warrants an organized network of physicians to provide care.
Every intractable pain center needs to be supported by a network of specialists who can
be called upon to provide specific treatment as required. They are not necessarily
individuals who reside in the same facility but are part of an established network
emanating from the IP center — rather than just a specialist to whom the IP physician
spontaneously chooses to refer.
Organizing the IP Network
In an optimum situation, the IP physician selects a number of specialists, contacts them,
and invites them to become part of his network. Instructive discussions follow with,
perhaps, written documentation of guidelines and procedures. Of utmost importance is for
each specialist and the IP physician to have a clear understanding of the indications that
trigger the need for the specialist’s expertise. In a section that follows, the
authors have outlined the indications for each specialty.
In addition to the network, each IP center requires dedicated ancillary services that
are also listed in a subsequent subsection. These services are intended for the use of the
IP physician or one of the specialists. For instance, a patient may be referred to a
physical therapist by either the IP physician or by the network orthopedic surgeon.
Please refer to the Nov/Dec 2004 issue for the complete text. In the event you need to order a back issue, please click here.
— Nov/Dec 2004
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