Four COM students (Ellen Reidy, OMS-I, Matthew Senno, OMS-II, Catherine Bianco, OMS-I, and Benjamin Thomas, OMS-II) participated in the Mercy Pain Clinic event, hosted by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). Under the guidance and supervision of Dr. Stephen Hull, Director of Mercy Pain Center, and Dr. Ling Cao, MD, PhD, COM Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, medical students worked alongside other students in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, and pharmacy.
Interdisciplinary teams of students collaborated for twelve weeks to develop a treatment plan that incorporated all the various disciplines for their patient with chronic pain. Of the experience, first-year COM student, Ellen Reidy, stated, “It was beneficial to see what other specialties and areas do, and how to incorporate them.” Her second-year colleague, Matt Senno, agreed: “I believe I obtained more information on chronic pain and developed a better understanding of its complexities.”
The audience participated in activities that sparked conversation on barriers facing patients with chronic pain and what questions one might ask a patient who presents with generalized chronic pain and depression. For instance, if a patient has anxiety and suicidal ideations in addition to chronic pain, what other specialties might need to be included in the treatment plan? Students in the audience threw out possibilities such as treating the patient with amitriptyline and other medications, setting clear goals, pulling in a case worker and/or mental health provider.
Both patients who participated in the program were referred to the Living Well Program at Mercy, which focuses on helping patients get back to the life they imagine for themselves, and offers support groups that provide a different level of support. Although the students were committed to think of ways to help their patients reach their long-term goals, the barriers for their patients were too great and they continued to not show for their appointments.
One thing Ellen Reidy, OMS-I learned from the experience was how to help patients with chronic pain “differentiate pain from harm.” Someone may not be pain free, but in order to have some quality of life, they may need to determine for themselves if certain outcomes are worth the pain or discomfort. One may choose to go to their granddaughter’s basketball game and sit on the bleachers, knowing that it will be uncomfortable but that sitting for an hour won’t do them actual harm. Part of the process is evaluating what may be worth the discomfort versus missing out on the things they love or enjoy.
For the students, the overarching takeaway of the experience was that there is a real benefit to a multidisciplinary approach. Patients are not black and white, and neither should their treatments. Every individual has his/her own story, and working with other health professionals can be extremely helpful in looking at a patient from all angles, to treat the whole patient, all 360 degrees. The experience also reinforced the importance of listening to patients, how to identify barriers, and how to address them so that they feel comfortable.
MERCY PAIN CENTER
Catherine Bianco, OMS-I and Benjamin Thomas, OMS-II present their findings at the Mercy Pain Center event