New Federal Ruling On Patient Rights in Pain Treatment
Monday July 12, 8:17 pm Eastern Time Company Press Release (BW HealthWire)
A new federal ruling now requires that all patients receive complete information about their rights to adequate pain treatment.
The decision, in a June 25, 1999 letter issued by the Health Care Financing Administration, resulted from a request made to HCFA by Compassion in Dying Federation and a number of other patients' rights and pain care reform organizations.
According to Compassion, this is a ``landmark ruling'' that will give patients the information they need to demand better pain treatment and highlight problems in existing federal and state laws that discourage physicians from aggressive pain management.
A West Coast news conference to discuss the ruling and the growing awareness in the health care community of pain management issues is scheduled as follows:
Tuesday, July 13 10:00 a.m. Main hospital lobby San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center 1001 Potrero Avenue San Francisco.
News conference participants:
- Robert V. Brody, MD -- UCSF Clinical Professor of Medicine, Chair
of the Ethics Committee and Chief of the Pain Consultation Clinic
at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center.
- Kathryn Tucker, JD -- Director of Legal Affairs for Compassion in
Dying Federation.
- Victor Kovner, MD -- Chair, Regulatory Affairs Committee,
Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative
- Bev Bergman -- San Francisco area resident who recently witnessed
inadequate pain care provided to her dying father in a California
hospital.
- Assemblywoman Carole Migden (invited) -- 13th District
An East Coast news conference on this topic is taking place at the same time in the Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. Participants will include representatives of patient advocacy groups and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Compassion in Dying Federation provides national leadership for client service, legal advocacy and public education to improve pain and symptom management, increase patient empowerment and self determination, and expand end-of-life choices. For more information about the Federation, contact Douglas Ide at 503/221-9556 or email
dide@compassionindying.org
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