On May 1, 1996, we went on-line. So far, 52 people from 22 hospitals and 2 nursing homes have registered to participate. It's a lively discussion in which, with Judy Spross's expert help as the On-line Discussion Leader, we have been examining some very important issues. For a sampling of what's going on on-line, see Judy's companion article on this page.

I am also delighted to report that over the last few months, EDC has sent out 16,000 surveys to 45 of the 50 institutions participating in the project. As most of you know, these surveys are enabling you to get a quick fix on the attitudes and beliefs many of your staff may have about pain and its management as well as a better understanding of what the institutional and logistical barriers are that are standing in the way of better pain management. We are grateful to Betty Ferrell and Margo McCaffery of the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California for their permission to incorporate "Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain", a knowledge and attitude instrument they developed, as part of our survey effort.

I also want to take this opportunity to introduce some of the other PainLink team staff here at EDC. I've just mentioned Judy Spross, whom many of you have already met on-line. But you may not know that Judy is one of the country's leading oncology nurse specialists with expertise in pain management. She authored the Oncology Nurse Society's cancer pain management guidelines and worked for many years at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and more recently at Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital where she is starting a Pain Management Care Team that is combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to pain management. As if that weren't enough, Ms. Spross is soon to become Dr. Spross when she finishes her dissertation this winter to complete her Ph.D. at Boston College School of Nursing.

Molly Lynn Watt, our Project Director, is a seasoned EDC staff person who has pioneered the use of technology as a prompt for staff development. She and her husband Dan Lynn Watt have co-authored several books on educational technology and developed a number of landmark projects, recognized throughout the country as successful in building educational leadership capacity. Two of Molly's areas of expertise are particularly germane to PainLink. First, she is very experienced in building virtual communities through electronic discussion groups, so be warned: many of the strategies you will see us using to encourage and enhance the use of the Internet will be coming from Molly. Secondly, Molly has an international reputation as an expert in Action Research, which is a structured process of gathering data and reflecting on it as a means of enhancing one's professional practice. Given the strong emphasis in PainLink on just that sort of process, Molly is the right project director for this effort, and we are very lucky to have her on board.

Denise Matulis, the Project's Research Assistant, is the face behind the scenes and the voice you are most likely to have become accustomed to on the phone. That's because it is Denise who is responsible for ensuring that many aspects of the project go smoothly. She will register you to join our discussion group (email your message to dmatulis@edc.org), troubleshoot with you on the phone whenever questions come up, and is responsible for administering the survey. Considering that we are in the process of surveying 16,000 clinicians, this latter job is no small order. Not only does Denise ensure that you get just the right number of surveys when you need them, she is also responsible for developing the reports and graphic displays you are now beginning to receive which report on how your staff answered the survey. See Denise's Survey Update on Page 3 of this newsletter.

With that, I'll close by congratulating you for undertaking this effort. In your busy lives and given the particularly hectic time in health care in which we now find ourselves, your decision to join with other concerned health care providers means a lot. I know that your patients and their families will be the beneficiaries of your efforts and along with The Mayday Fund, want to thank you for taking on this challenge.

Last Updated: April 18, 2000