Report Title:

Sympathetic Dystrophy/Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Description:

Establishes the sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome education, awareness, and prevention program.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1542

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to Sympathetic Dystrophy/Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that reflex sympathetic dystrophy, also known as complex regional pain syndrome is a multi-symptom, multi-system syndrome usually affecting one or more extremities, but because it characteristically can spread, reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome may affect virtually any part of the body. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome is a debilitating and oftentimes progressively chronic condition characterized by severe, constant, burning pain and/or deep ache, pathological changes in bone and skin, movement disorder, autonomic dysfunction, excessive sweating, tissue swelling, extreme sensitivity to tactile stimulation, and temperature changes. More specifically, reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome can be described as a disorder of the nervous system that generally occurs at the site of a minor or major trauma injury, though precipitating factors associated with reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome also include ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction, cervical spine or spinal disorders, cerebral lesions, infections, surgery, and/or cumulative repetitive motion disorder. In some patients, however, a definite precipitating event cannot be identified.

The legislature further finds that reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome is often misdiagnosed because this condition is either unknown or is poorly understood. The prognosis for patients suffering from reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome is generally much better when the condition is identified and treated as early as possible, ideally within the first three months of identifying the first symptoms. If appropriate treatment and care is administered in a timely manner, reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome can be reversed and the patient’s condition may go into remission. If treatment is delayed, the disorder can quickly spread and the condition can become irreversible, eventually resulting in life-long disability, permanent unemployment, and long-term financial consequences. The treatment of patients with advanced reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome can be a challenging, expensive, and time-consuming task in that these patients can become completely incapacitated by the disease.

Since a delay in diagnosis and treatment for this syndrome can result in severe physical and physiological problems, and early recognition and prompt treatment of reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome provides the greatest opportunity for recovery, the legislature hereby declares it to be in the best interest of the public to establish a program to educate, via written materials, brochures, and the Internet, both individuals and medical professionals regarding this debilitating disease and to promote the means to accurately identify, diagnose, and treat this disease.

SECTION 2. Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§321-    Reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome education, awareness, and prevention program. (a) There is created within the department of health a reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome education, awareness, and prevention program to promote public awareness of the causes of reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome, the value of early detection, and effective treatments thereof, and to promote education and research, via public and private sources, to accurately identify, diagnose, and treat this illness.

(b) In developing the program, the department shall:

(1) Promote a public education and outreach campaign, via written materials, brochures, and the Internet, specifically, to promote reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome education that will enable individuals to make informed choices about their health, including the following elements:

(A) Cause and nature of the disease;

(B) Risk factors that contribute to the illness' manifestation;

(C) All available treatment options, including benefits and risks of those treatment options;

(D) Environmental safety and injury prevention;

(E) Rest and use of appropriate body mechanics;

(F) Availability of reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome diagnostic, treatment, and outreach services in the community; and

(G) Any other factors of elements that might mitigate the effects of this disease.

(2) Support the development of educational materials and brochures that focus specifically on reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome, which shall be made available to consumers through state and county departments of health, hospitals, clinics, and other health care providers;

(3) Coordinate, promote, and offer professional education programs for health care providers and health-related community based organizations, including but not limited to the following:

(A) Research findings;

(B) Cause and nature of the disease;

(C) Risk factors, including lifestyle, heredity, and drug interactions;

(D) Diagnostic procedures and appropriate indications for their use;

(E) All medical and surgical treatment options, including experimental and established drug therapies, and the benefits and risks of such options;

(F) Environmental safety and injury prevention; and

(G) Availability of reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome diagnosis, treatment, and support services in the community; and

(4) Promote education and research through both private and public funding sources to accurately identify, diagnose, and treat reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome.

(c) The director shall accept and expend any grants, awards, or other funds or appropriations that are made available for the purposes of this section."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval, except that the reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome program information and materials provided for by section 2 of this Act shall be published and made available to the public within two hundred seventy days of the date on which this Act takes effect.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________