AI and virtual reality in pain management explored at pain specialists’ meeting

Australia and New Zealand’s leading pain specialty body, the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, is meeting at the Pullman International Hotel in Cairns for its annual pain medicine symposium.

Dean of the Faculty of Pain Medicine Dr Dilip Kapur and Queensland specialist pain medicine physicians Dr Hannah Bennett and Dr Anju Tessa James are welcoming more than 100 delegates at the “Diving Deep” meeting.

Dr Kapur says this year’s meeting features sessions on artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and pain care for children and brings together delegates from a range of specialties, reflecting the multidisciplinary membership of the faculty.

Pain medicine is a two-year post-specialty qualification for doctors, including GPs, psychiatrists, rehabilitation specialists, physicians, anaesthetists and surgeons.
  
 “The theme ‘Diving Deep’ is an opportunity to delve into various critical aspects of pain management,” Dr Kapur explains.

“The program explores the importance of providing equitable access to high-quality, evidence-based pain management solutions so we can combine knowledge and expertise to enhance patient treatment and care.

“Chronic pain affects at least one in five people so it is vital that we not only work with our patients to help them manage their pain but also help educate the community about pain and how it is treated,” Dr Kapur says.
 
 Pain medicine specialists serve both as consultants to other physicians and are often the principal treating physician. 

The spectrum of care provided by a pain medicine specialist includes co-ordinating rehabilitation services, counselling patents and their families, directing multidisciplinary teams, liaising with other health care professionals and reviewing and adjusting medication.