Session II: Essential Tools for Managing Chronic Pain, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: Leveraging internet resources
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 – 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm EST
Drs. Anthony J. Levinson, Jennifer Wyman
Optimal management of patients with chronic pain, mental health or substance use disorders calls for a multimodal approach, but finding accessible, affordable resources for patients can be a struggle. Patients readily use the internet for health information and advice, which may not be accurate or evidence-based. Offering specific recommendations for critically reviewed sites and programs can complement traditional approaches to patient education and enhance patients’ engagement in their long-term self-management.
Using a case-based approach, we will highlight clinician tools and patient-oriented supports that can be effective in managing these complex issues. Examples of resources include:
- Accessing CBT for mood and anxiety disorders
- Finding self-management programs for chronic pain
- Developing an anxiety management plan
- Apps for mindfulness and sleep
- Resources for managing trauma
- Physical activity guidelines for chronic pain
- Safer opioid prescribing strategies
- Medical marijuana and lower risk cannabis use
- Managing opioid use disorder in primary care
Learning objectives:
At the end of this session, the participants will be able to:
- Adopt a ‘blended’ teaching approach to build on current patient education strategies, using educational prescriptions and conversation guides (Communicator);
- Integrate web-based resources into the care of patients with chronic pain and mental health disorders (Medical Expert);
- Effectively find local and regional programs to support patient self-management and CBT (Health Advocate, Collaborator).
Speakers
Dr Anthony J. Levinson, MD, FRCPC is a consultation-liaison psychiatrist, the Director of the Division of e-Learning Innovation, and the John Evans Chair in Health Sciences Educational Research at McMaster University. His area of research is online teaching and learning, and he studies how to use various technologies to improve health education for health professions’ learners and the public. With Dr Jennifer Wyman, he is the co-developer of the Opioids Clinical Primer online education program on the machealth.ca CPD portal.
Dr Jennifer Wyman is a family physician working in primary care and addictions, in both community and academic settings. With Dr. Anthony Levinson, she co-developed the Opioids Clinical Primer, an accredited online education program that addresses the needs of primary care clinicians facing common challenges in the management of patients with chronic pain, including reducing the risks of opioids, addressing mental health in the context of chronic pain, and managing opioid use disorder. Her academic interests are in improving primary care supports for patients with substance use disorders. She is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.
How to Register
