DIA Rolls Out Draft of Chronic Pain Treatment Guides

By Michael Whiteley, Eastern Bureau Chief'The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) has rolled out a proposed draft of chronic pain treatment guidelines that would require psychological evaluations of patients and establish specific schedules for therapies some stakeholders say have been routinely denied during utilization review.The draft guidelines were unanimously approved by the state's 14-member Health Care Services Board, which includes occupational physicians, a chiropractor, a dentist, and representatives of insurers, hospitals, employers and the public.Dr. Rob...