A Patient's Perspective: Pain After Surgery-CME Paid Option-SHARP A Patient's Perspective

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar introduces COMPASS-SHARP, a program helping clinicians use evidence-based strategies to minimize opioid prescribing when appropriate and expand non-opioid, patient-centered pain management. Amanda Donlan reviews objectives focused on the biopsychosocial nature of pain, empathetic communication, stigma reduction, and supported self-management.<br /><br />Guest speaker Tom Bowen shares his chronic pain journey after an unplanned 2009 surgery. Persistent post-surgical pain led to multiple procedures, ER visits, and years of treatments, later complicated by a head injury and fibromyalgia. After attending the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center, he learned to self-manage pain, discontinue opioids, and shift from seeking a “fix” to building a meaningful life despite pain. He later became a pain educator.<br /><br />Bowen’s “five things” for healthcare professionals: (1) see the person beyond diagnoses and pain scores; explore how pain affects life and psychosocial factors; (2) listen deeply to build trust and reduce anxiety; (3) use careful, compassionate language—avoid fear-inducing labels and validate experiences; (4) teach active self-management strategies pre- and post-surgery (education, movement, pacing, relaxation, reframing, mindfulness); (5) help patients make sense of pain transitioning to chronic, including pain neuroscience education and cautious optimism, and consider interdisciplinary pain rehab referrals.

Keywords

COMPASS-SHARP

opioid prescribing reduction

non-opioid pain management

biopsychosocial pain model

chronic pain self-management

empathetic clinician-patient communication

pain neuroscience education