Untapped market?

[cfdavid]

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So, after having finished up a monthh of Medicine Sub-I, it's become painfully (pun intended) obvious to me that MOST internists are exceedingly lacking in the art and science of pain management.

I'm not talking about interventional pain, either. Just good ole fashioned medical pain management. Additionally, I've found said internists to be lacking in terms of their "resources" in order to do anything about it.

That is, while they're very quick to consult other specialties for even the most minor of medical issues (arguably, we way overconsult), consultations for pain management seemed, in my experience, to be pretty much non-existent.

Also, with an aging population and the technology to keep people alive longer, the need for palliative care is going to grow immensely. Culturally, I think, we're realizing that living longer doesn't necessarily mean living a better quality of life. How many patients have you seen living a miserable, often painful existence? Too many.

So, this seems like a huge untapped "market" for pain management expertise. Surely, there are those that DO take the time and effort to become adept at pain control, but those internists seem few and far between.
In addition, anesthesiologists are in the perfect position to offer regional blocks and other minor interventions (not necessarily the full package that fellowship trained interventional pain docs offer) to this patient population.

So, what are the barriers to expanding these services? **Input from some of the attendings, in particular, the PP people with business savvy (MilMD etc.) would be great.

cf

 

[periopdoc]

Lack of basic pain management understanding is not exclusive to the medical specialties. It is a problem in the surgical specialties too. I would even argue that many anesthesiologists have little interest in pain management outside of the OR even if they have a better understanding of the pharmacokinetics of the meds.

You would have to learn appropriate E&M coding for pain medication management, and then decide if you were going to take over pain management of these patients, or simply provide consultation.

If I was going to go this route, I would first make sure that I have several colleagues who want to do it with me. If you are successful in getting buy in from the Med +/- Surg docs, I think that you will be quickly overwhelmed with the amount of business and the number of calls.

Now whether that translates into financially viability is another issue. Procedures pay well, management doesn't. You would be doing primarily the latter.

- pod

 

[Jeff05]

this already exists. pain management physicians get consults on JUST medical pain management all the time.

palliative pain is a fellowship that ANYONE can pursue.

issue: med management doesn't make much money, work isn't that interesting, high liability, pall care is super depressing, etc. if you take money and intervention out of the picture, most would not go anywhere near pain management.

 

[coprolalia]

This thread is boring.

The only untapped market I'm currently aware of is the nursing student population from the local community college that rotates at our hospital... and I'm working on it. 😉

-copro

 

[UTKB]

Copro, what's the deal with you? All these lecherous posts lately...I thought you were going to become engaged.

 

[coprolalia]

Copro, what's the deal with you? All these lecherous posts lately...I thought you were going to become engaged.

Yeah, well... I asked, she said "I'm not sure/ready", I asked back "What else do you need to know?", she said, "I don't know", I said, "Okay, see ya later. Call me if/when you figure it out."

Been about three months now. Last time I spoke with her (about a month ago), she was actively "seeing someone else."

End of story.

-copro

 

[cfdavid]

Yeah, well... I asked, she said "I'm not sure/ready", I asked back "What else do you need to know?", she said, "I don't know", I said, "Okay, see ya later. Call me if/when you figure it out."

Been about three months now. Last time I spoke with her (about a month ago), she was actively "seeing someone else."

End of story.

-copro

Good man.

As an aside, and not pertaining to Copro's situation (and this is directed especially towards the younger dudes), never, ever, (did I say ever?) go gagga over a woman. lol

That's my contribution for today....

cf

 

[coprolalia]

Good man.

As an aside, and not pertaining to Copro's situation (and this is directed especially towards the younger dudes), never, ever, (did I say ever?) go gagga over a woman. lol

That's my contribution for today....

cf

Don't get me wrong. I was/am still pretty upset about the situation. But, I'll get over it. She's not the first chick that's done what's tantamount to breaking-up with me (although this was my first marriage proposal that was shot-down). I guess I've broken-up with a fair number of dudettes before, so I have no right to b!tch. But, I am ready to get on with my life. I want kids. And, I don't want to be some old schmuck of whom people ask "is that your grandchild?" when I'm walking around the mall.

My suspicion, and I may be wrong, is that she's going to come back around in six months to a year and want to get back together. To which I will say, "Too late, sucka."

Seriously, I thought this chick wasn't wishy-washy and had her collective emotional **** together. In other words, I thought we were on the same page. This was a real eye-opener.

I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that a big part of it for her - maybe the only part - was that I'm not-at-all religious (despite the fact that she's an abortion-and-birth-control-advocating, not-actively-participating, "cafeteria" Catholic who hasn't been to Confession since she was 15 and likewise had no problem banging me for the past year-and-a-half). Anyway, I thought we'd already ironed that out early on in the relationship, but apparently not.

Didn't really want to bring this up or talk about this here, but since it came up (as in a roundabout sorta way, my fidelity was questioned) I thought I should address it. Kinda sucks because she was completely awesome in every other way. Definitely not the hottest girl I've ever dated, but clearly the coolest.

Okay. Enough said. I'm done discussing her/this situation. It's over in my mind. Even if I got back together with her, I'd always be wondering what the next thing she was going to flake-out over would be.

-copro

 

[UTKB]

 

[dhb]

never, ever, (did I say ever?) go gagga over a woman.
cf

I'll believe in love if someone can show me the data

 

[hoyden]

"Too late, sucka."


-copro

Ha! I knew it! 😉

Copro, get better. Time will help. And do not step back into the same river, despite the temptation - it is not worth it.

 

[cfdavid]

I'll believe in love if someone can show me the data

love is one thing. gagga googoo is quite another...

 

[indo]

This thread is boring.

The only untapped market I'm currently aware of is the nursing student population from the local community college that rotates at our hospital... and I'm working on it. 😉

-copro

untapped? ha. I hear that nursing students like appletinis.