Alvin H. Moss, M.D., director of the Center for Health Ethics and Law at West Virginia University, recently led an international panel of pain and symptom- management experts aiming to develop better ways to treat pain in dialysis patients.

The Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition convened the panel and announced the development of the brochure “Clinical Algorithm & Preferred Medications to Treat Pain in Dialysis Patients.” The brochure, also sponsored by the Kidney End-of-Life Coalition, is posted at http://www.kidneyeol.org/painbrochure9.09.pdf.

Dr. Moss is also featured in an American Society of Nephrology podcast on ways to improve palliative care for kidney disease patients.

Studies show that pain is undertreated in three-quarters of dialysis patients, in part because more education is needed for doctors in training, according to the Society.

“We want nephrologists to better understand that a palliative-care approach to dialysis patients can relieve patient pain and suffering and assist in identifying and respecting their goals for care,” Moss told interviewer Tod Ibrahim, the Society’s executive director. “We also want to let our colleagues know about new research that is available to nephrologists to more accurately predict dialysis patients’ prognosis and to allow timely referral to hospice.”

The podcast offers resources on palliative care including websites such as http://kidneyeol.org/ (Kidney End-of-Life Coalition) and http://www.eperc.mcw.edu/ (End of Life/Palliative Education Resource Center).

The podcast will be available via through ASN’s website at http://asn-online.org/publications/kidneynews/podcast.aspx and also available on iTunes on Monday (Oct. 12).

The American Society of Nephrology is the world’s largest professional society devoted to the study of kidney disease.

-WVU-

For More Information:
Andrea Brunais, HSC News Service, 304-293-7087
brunaisa@wvuh.com