Georgia showed the largest improvement in the United States in a national study evaluating state policies to improve pain management and patient care, with its “grade” jumping from a D to a B, the American Cancer Society reported Tuesday.
Researchers analyzed whether state pain policies and regulations enhanced or impeded pain management. The study, by the University of Wisconsin’s Pain & Policy Studies Group, said only five states received a grade of “A” for enabling health care professionals to effectively alleviate the suffering of their patients, without encountering barriers in legislation or regulation.