Seminars to look
at pain control,
doctors’ health
Pain management and physicians' health issues will highlight discussions at the third annual Physicians Health Conference from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
The Hawaii Medical Association is presenting the conference with the Hawaii Society of Addiction Medicine and Hawaii Independent Physicians Association.
Critical issues in management of acute and chronic pain will be the focus of tomorrow's talks, and concerns about physicians' health problems that may affect patients will be on Saturday's agenda.
A lot of new information is coming out about control of both acute and chronic pain, said Dr. Gerald McKenna, past HMA president, medical director of Kauai Professionals program and University of Hawaii associate professor of psychiatry.
"We want to be sure doctors are aware of how best to control pain so no individual with either acute or chronic pain is suffering because a physician doesn't have proper information," McKenna said.
Conferees also will look at conditions that lead to physicians' impairment because of chemical dependency, medical or psychiatric causes, he said.
"The area of physicians' health is growing -- how we understand health problems that afflict physicians, including any kind of health problem that could put the public in jeopardy because of physician impairment," he said.
Among speakers Saturday will be Dr. Gene Abel, director of the Behavioral Medicine Institute of Atlanta and clinical professor of psychiatry, discussing a sexual disorders treatment program for professionals with sexual addiction.
Narcotics addiction among physicians, psychiatric disorders, personality issues and stress also will be covered, as well as the outcome of 12-step model programs and the impact of physician impairment on health maintenance organizations and health insurance companies.
The cost of the conference is $100 a day or $175 for two days.
Physicians can register online at www.hmaonline.net.
