Joint Commission Video Encourages Patients to Speak Up about Pain

The Joint Commission has released a new animated video, Speak Up: About Your Pain, that shows patients why it is important to tell their healthcare providers about pain they are experiencing, reports a February 27, 2013, news item from the Joint Commission. Part of the Joint Commission’s Speak Up series, the one-minute video shows two characters who are experiencing different kinds of pain. It encourages patients to describe their pain to healthcare providers, make sure their pain is assessed, take steps to relieve their pain rather than “tough it out,” mention side effects of medications to their provider, and ask about alternative pain management techniques (e.g., physical therapy, acupuncture, massage).