Pain medicine: a contemporary perspective on environmental analysis and strategic planning.

Abstract

One of the essential responsibilities of an organization is to understand and modify its behavior based upon environmental analysis. This is an important component of the process of developing and implementing an organizational strategic plan. As the discipline of pain medicine continues to attract widespread attention, we must develop strategies to encourage and influence this process. The national media, as recently exemplified by Newsweek , continue to focus on the growing epidemic of pain and the necessity for proper treatment. The American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) has understood its role as an authori-tative resource regarding issues pertaining to painful conditions, treatments options, and pain-related public health policy, and we have expanded these functions. These ongoing activities of the Academy not only enhance its stature but also, hopefully, serve to ameliorate the suffering of millions of Americans afflicted by pain. The Academy continues to enhance its recognition within organized medicine, thereby positioning itself to better interact with its environment. The Journal of the American Medical Association , later this year, will publish a special theme issue on pain. This issue will raise awareness of our discipline within the medical community and will provide an update of pain research. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has issued two monographs addressing various aspects of pain care. These are entitled Pain: …