about EM Painline

EM Painline is an initiative of the Pain and Emergency Medicine Institute (PEMI) at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. PEMI was founded in 2005 and is under the direction of Dr. Knox H. Todd. The goal of the Institute is to improve pain management practices in our emergency departments through research, advocacy and education. The EM Painline website is made possible through a generous grant from The Mayday Fund.

Pain and The Emergency Department

Emergency departments in the United States receive over 110 million patient visits annually. Pain is the presenting complaint for 60% to 70% of these patients. Despite the high prevalence of pain in this population, few emergency nurses or physicians are engaged in the critical study of emergency department pain management practices. Research in this area documents a high prevalence of inadequate pain treatment (oligoanalgesia), identifies risk factors for oligoanalgesia (extremes of age, ethnicity, cognitive function), and finds extensive small and large area variations in emergency department pain management practices.

Laboratory and clinical research have improved our knowledge and ability to manage pain successfully, but substantial gaps remain between existing knowledge and daily pain management practice in the emergency department. The purpose of the Pain and Emergency Medicine Institute (PEMI) is to close this gap by providing resources, information about best practices, and education to emergency care providers, as well as to facilitate research promoting improved practice. Building on the success of past research collaborations, the Institute will identify research themes and seek to create opportunities for research among our colleagues. It aims to create a network of emergency nurses and physicians committed to these common goals.

EM Painline Website

The EM Painline website is a centerpiece of these efforts. It features an annotated bibliography of published research articles and other materials relevant to the emergency department’s treatment of pain, which is searchable on-line. Commentary by recognized leaders in the specialty will accompany these articles. The website will include tools to assist researchers and clinicians, a calendar of events related to pain and emergency medicine, materials to assist emergency medicine educators, and announcements of new research findings, pertinent to our specialty.

The EM Painline ListServ

The EM Painline ListServ enables emergency department personnel to share questions about research issues and best practices, experiences, and resources in an efficient manner. Users will benefit from the collective wisdom, training and experience of a group of committed physicians and nurses. If you are interested in joining the ListServ, please click here to obtain an application to join.

PEMI Staff

Knox H. Todd, MD, MPH
Director
To view a brief bio of Dr. Todd, click here.

Karen Richards, PhD
Website Manager

If you have any ideas or suggestions for EM Painline, please contact us.