Pain Care Bill of Rights
These points are based on the policy developed by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), which is the major health care standards-setting and accrediting organization in the U.S. They were developed because pain was not being measured and treated in a consistent way.The standards call upon facilities to:
- Recognize patients' rights to pain control
- Screen for pain
- Perform a complete assessment when pain is present
- Record the assessment in a way that facilitates regular reassessment and follow-up
- Set a standard for monitoring and intervention
- Educate providers and assure staff competency
- Establish policies that support appropriate prescription or ordering of pain medicines
- Educate patients and families
- Include patient needs for symptom control in discharge planning
- Collect data to monitor the effectiveness and appropriateness of pain management