Interventional Pain SIG

Terms of Reference 

This Special Interest Group (SIG) will operate in accordance with the mission, bylaws, policies and procedures of the Canadian Pain Society (CPS). The SIG will provide processes for enhancing the following : interventional practice in pain management, related research activities, the training of practitioners, selection of patients, choice of appropriate procedures, application of appropriate and safe techniques, patient monitoring and post-procedure observation.

As a Special Interest Group of the CPS, this SIG is by definition open to all disciplines on the basis of interest. This SIG particularly is expected to be of interest not only to interventional medical practitioners but also those other professionals involved in the assessment and selection of patients for procedures, and those professionals who have a role in the support of patients during procedures and recovery of patients following procedures, as well as clinical researchers who study ways to improve these procedures and basic science researchers who study mechanisms related to interventional procedures.

The SIG has immediate and longer-term goals.
1. The immediate goal is to establish process whereby individuals who are interested in the role of interventional techniques in the management of pain can interact with the aim of ensuring that practice in this field adheres to the principles of evidence-based health care.

2. This SIG will offer regular educational events to promote high quality practice, for example by offering a forum for expert practitioners to meet and establish general guidelines, and will also promulgate these guidelines within the practicing community. This will occur initially through the mechanism of an annual workshop.

3. The longer-term goal is for the SIG members to become the nexus of a nationwide group that will encourage research in interventional pain management, in order to establish the appropriate basis for use of these techniques.

Financial Support

Operations of the SIG will be managed according to the principles of the CPS, with special funding obtained for activities such as educational events from sources such as registration fees and educational grants.

Principles of fiscal responsibility will apply, with the expectation that the SIG will operate at least with a balanced budget, with actions and periodic reporting to the CPS, in accordance with the bylaws, policies and procedures of the CPS.