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World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Policy and Communications in Cancer Care |
IMPROVING CANCER
PAIN RELIEF
IN THE WORLD: 1997-1999
A REPORT ON THREE YEARS OF WORK
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World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Policy and Communications in Cancer Care |
Sponsored by
The Pain & Policy Studies Group
University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Medical School
Madison, Wisconsin USA
www.medsch.wisc.edu/painpolicy
October 2000
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
The Center and its WHO Terms of Reference
Staff Members Acknowledgements
This report summarizes three years of work
by the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Policy and Communications in
Cancer Care. The Pan American Health Organization designated the Center in 1996. The
Center is sponsored by the Pain & Policy Studies Group of the University of Wisconsin
Comprehensive Cancer Center, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
From 1997 to 1999, the Center sponsored or participated in numerous proactive efforts to improve policy and enhance communications relating to cancer pain relief and palliative care. The Center collaborated frequently with the World Health Organization, hosting three visits from WHO staff during the three year period, co-sponsoring international and regional meetings and projects with WHO and its regional offices for the Americas and the Western Pacific, and interacting with other WHO Collaborating Centers.
The Center consulted with the International Narcotics Control Board about the international and national opioid availability situation and used INCB opioid consumption data to monitor progress or lack of it. The Center collaborated on a range of projects with 9 national governments, as well as with non-governmental organizations in 21 countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe.
The Center sponsors a WHO Demonstration Project in India to show how countries can make opioids available for the relief of pain in dying patients living at home, without diversion and abuse.
The Center accomplishes its policy work through a program of research, development, demonstration, monitoring and evaluation. The Center develops methods, procedures and models that can be used to identify barriers to opioid availability, diagnose regulatory problems, make changes in national and state policy, and monitor outcomes.
The Center accomplishes its communications work primarily through the publication of Cancer Pain Release, a quarterly WHO newsletter which provides health professionals, policy makers and regulators throughout the world with updates on issues and developments in the field. Cancer Pain Release has a world-wide circulation of 100,000 in 128 countries and is inserted in a number of international and national journals. In addition, the Center actively disseminates information throughout the world about how to obtain WHO publications.
Every year, the Center also participates in a number of international and national conferences and strategy meetings for health professionals and government officials, and provides technical assistance to government and non-government organizations. The Center maintains two websites and promotes worldwide access to better understanding of the principles that should guide national narcotics control policy.
Each year the Pain & Policy Studies Group supports the Center's program from the unrestricted funds it raises. The PPSG does not have a consistent source of funding for its efforts to improve cancer pain relief policy and communications in the world.
The Center and its WHO Terms of Reference
Name of Center: The World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Policy and Communications in Cancer Care, Pain & Policy Studies Group, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin Medical School*
Address: 1900 University Avenue
Madison, Wisconsin, 53705, USA
Telephone: 1 608 263 7662
Facsimile: 1 608 263 0259
Email: joranson@facstaff.wisc.edu
Website: http://www.medsch.wisc.edu/painpolicy
Director: David E. Joranson, MSSW, Senior Scientist, Director, Pain & Policy Studies Group
Terms of reference for the Collaborating Center:
To develop methods to identify impediments to the availability of opioid analgesics; compare national approaches to opioid analgesic regulation; develop procedures to monitor the medical use and diversion of opioids before and after national cancer pain and palliative care policies are implemented.
Develop WHO Demonstration Projects to make opioids available for cancer pain relief while minimizing diversion.
To monitor development of national cancer pain relief and palliative care programs according to WHO's three measures of national policy, opioid availability and educational programs.
To maintain a communication network for the WHO Cancer Pain Relief and Palliative Care Program, including publication of a WHO/PAHO, Global Cancer Care newsletter to be distributed throughout the world, and a computer-based telecommunication system giving professionals the opportunity to access and share information.
Establish a comprehensive database of resources available to educate cancer patients about pain control and palliative care and configure the information so that it can be easily retrievable.
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
August 1, 2000David E. Joranson
Director
*A report of Center activities prior to 1997 is available at http://www.medsch.wisc.edu/painpolicy.
Pain & Policy Studies Group
WHO Collaborating Center
Staff Members
David E. Joranson, MSSW, Director
Sophie M. Colleau, PhD, Editor, Cancer Pain Release
Aaron M. Gilson, PhD, Researcher in Policy Studies
Carolyn Williams, BS, MBA, Research Program Administrator
Karen M. Ryan, MA, Senior Policy Analyst
John M. Nelson, MS, Information Technology Manager
Martha A. Maurer, BS, Policy Analyst
Jessica Nischik, BSB, Policy Specialist
Liliana De Lima, Fellow/Consultant (1996-1998)
The Center wishes to acknowledge colleagues who have been Advisors to the Center, including Mr. Kailash Sethi, former Narcotics Commissioner of India; Dr. Jan Stjernsward, former Director of the WHO Cancer Unit; Dr. Adriano Laudico, President of the Philippine College of Surgeons; and Dr. Fumikazu Takeda, Ex Officio Director of the Saitama Cancer Center and WHO Collaborating Center, Saitama, Japan. The Center also acknowledges the cooperation of Mr. Tokuo Yoshida of the WHO, Geneva, Switzerland; Professor M.R. Rajagopal, Director of the Pain and Palliative Care Society and WHO Demonstration Project, Calicut, India; Dr. Cynthia Goh, President of the Hospice Care Association, Singapore; Mr. Romesh Bhattacharji, Narcotics Commissioner of India; and Professor June L. Dahl, former Chairperson, Wisconsin Cancer Pain Initiative and WHO Demonstration Project.
Executive Summary The Center and its WHO Terms of Reference Staff Members Acknowledgements
