Louisiana House Bill HCR75

Louisiana 2017 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/15/17
• Refer: 5/16/17
• Report Pass: 5/23/17
• Engrossed: 6/1/17
• Report Pass: 6/2/17
• Passed: 6/4/17

Caption

Requests the Louisiana Department of Health take all necessary steps to bring attention to the need to eliminate pain as the fifth vital sign and a determinant of quality patient care

Impact

The resolution seeks to prompt the Louisiana Department of Health to take proactive measures in addressing this issue. Specifically, it urges the department to enhance prescriber education and foster awareness regarding alternative pain management approaches. The focus is on reducing the reliance on opioids for pain treatment and promoting safer medical practices that do not solely equate patient-reported pain with the necessity for narcotics. This could ultimately shift current state healthcare policies and practices towards more holistic and cautious approaches to managing pain.

Summary

House Concurrent Resolution 75 (HCR75) addresses the critical issue of pain management within the medical community, particularly in the context of the ongoing opioid crisis. It strongly advocates for the elimination of the assessment of pain as the 'fifth vital sign,' a practice that has become widespread since the late 1990s in an effort to improve management of pain. The resolution underscores the significant impact that the classification of pain as a vital sign has had on the increase in opioid prescriptions, which have quadrupled over the years, leading to dire outcomes such as increased dependency and overdose deaths.

Sentiment

The sentiment surrounding HCR75 appears largely proactive and solution-oriented, aiming to rectify the practices that have contributed to the opioid crisis. Many stakeholders, including medical professionals and legislative bodies, recognize the utility of evaluating pain, but increasingly see that equating pain management with the need for opioids can lead to harmful consequences. By advocating for the removal of pain as a vital sign, supporters hope to facilitate a more nuanced understanding of pain management, one that prioritizes patient safety over simply adhering to established protocols.

Contention

While HCR75 presents a united front for addressing the opioid epidemic, it also highlights the contention surrounding best practices for pain management. Critics of the movement to eliminate pain as the fifth vital sign may argue that such a change could undermine the importance of assessing pain in patient care. Their concerns revolve around balancing the need for effective pain management with the risks associated with opioid over-prescription. As various organizations, including the American Medical Association and multiple healthcare regulatory bodies, reconsider their positions, the resolution signals a critical juncture in healthcare policy where the consequences of these practices are carefully weighed.