UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

Developed a new Case Review Community, moderated by former SIS president, Timothy Maus, MD.

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE STANDARDS DIVISION AND COVID-19 TASK FORCE

• Developed and continue to update COVID-19 guidance for interventional pain physicians.

• Identified and shared additional resources providing important information during the crisis. 

• Published the FactFinder Corticosteroid Injections and COVID-19 Infection Risk.

• Collaborated on Pain Management Best Practices from Multispecialty Organizations During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Public Health Crises.

• Developed patient information and attestation/documentation materials, quick view reference guides on PPE and telehealth billing, COVID-19 webinar content, and a manuscript summarizing current SIS member reopening practices.

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE HEALTH POLICY DIVISION

• Coverage

• Led a Multi-society Pain Workgroup (MPW) effort to develop and submit a comment letter advocating for appropriate coverage of facet interventions for the Multijurisdictional CAC Meeting. SIS leaders, Drs. Timothy Maus and David (D.J.) Kennedy, served on the CAC’s expert panel. 

• Co-led MPW efforts to submit letters in response to Medicare Local Coverage Determinations on Vertebral Augmentation.

• Submitted several letters to private payers promoting appropriate access to TON RFN, genicular nerve RFA, and lateral branch RFN.

• Reimbursement

  • Represented Interventional Pain coding and reimbursement interests at the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel and RVS Update Committee (RUC) meetings.

    • Participated in the effort to survey physicians on the facet radiofrequency neurotomy codes in March 2020. 

    • Submitted comments to CMS in response to the proposed physician fee schedule, which resulted in increased valuation of new CPT codes for sacroiliac and genicular nerve procedures.

    • Participated in the effort to survey physicians regarding appropriate valuation of proposed basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation codes.

  • Submitted a letter to American Medical Group Association (AMGA) requesting explanation for recent volatility and reduced reimbursements compared with Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) rates.

  • Signed on to several AMA letters addressing issues with MIPS measures and the MIPS Value Pathways.

  • Promoted appropriate use of new Category I CPT codes for sacroiliac joint and genicular nerve procedures.

  • Signed on to AMA letters to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, and U.S. Congress aimed at promoting pandemic-related financial relief and liability protections for physicians.

• Scope of Practice

  • Led MPW effort to address concerns about expansion of physician extender opportunities in Colorado and Oregon.

  • Submitted letters to South Dakota and Florida regarding inappropriate CRNA authorization to perform procedures and medically manage patients without supervision.

  • Signed on to several AMA comment letters addressing scope of practice regulations.

• Other Advocacy Efforts

  • Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promoting the important role of interventional pain procedures in the management of acute and chronic pain.

  • Developed a physician comment letter for SIS members to customize and submit to CDC promoting interventional pain procedures.

  • Signed on to AMA letters on surprise billing, prior authorization, and potential FDA compounding guidance.

  • Represented Pain Intervention interests at the AMA House of Delegates Meetings.

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE RESEARCH DIVISION

• CURRENT SIS- FUNDED STUDIES

  • Conger. The Effectiveness of Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection for the Treatment of Cervical Radicular Pain: A Prospective Cohort Study.

  • Levi. Bone Marrow Concentrate Intradiscal Injection for Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain: A Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

  • Schneider. Randomized Trial Comparing Parallel Versus Perpendicular Technique for Lumbar Medial Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy.

  • Zheng. Application to Track Longitudinal Outcomes After Spine interventions. (Nikolai Bogduk Young Investigator Grant - 2018).

  • Sturos. Comparison of Bacterial Growth from Single-use Vial Tops Before and After Disinfection.

• RESEARCH PROTOCOL DEVELOPMENT

  • Completed and published the Non-Axial Joint Pain Research Roadmap.

• ONLINE JOURNAL CLUB

  • Published quarterly appraisals of 3 studies -- 12 studies over the past year

• RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

  • The Society now has a process in place for members to request access to specimens and imaging tools for research projects.

  • Facilitated 3 membership surveys on behalf of SIS-member investigators. 

• RESEARCH ABSTRACTS

  • Completed the evaluation and selection process for four meetings: 2020 Winter Seminar, 2020 European Congress, 2020 Spine Week, and 2020 Annual Meeting. (The 2020 European Congress and SpineWeek were cancelled due to COVID-19.)

  • 9 abstracts were presented as posters at the 2020 Winter Seminar.

  • 58 abstracts were presented at the 2020 Virtual Meeting.

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE STANDARDS DIVISION AND EVIDENCE ANALYSIS COMMITTEE

• Published or In Press

  • Schneider BJ, Doan L, Maes MK, Martinez KR, Gonzalez Cota A, Bogduk N. Systematic review of the effectiveness of lumbar medial branch thermal radiofrequency neurotomy, stratified for diagnostic methods and procedural technique. Pain Med 2020;21(6):1122-1141. 

  • Engel A, King W, Schneider BJ, Duszynski B, Bogduk N.  The effectiveness of cervical medial branch thermal radiofrequency neurotomy stratified by selection criteria: a systematic review of the literature. Pain Med 2020 Sep 15. [Epub ahead of print]

  • Nagpal A, Clements N, Duszynski B, Boies B. The effectiveness of dorsal root ganglion neurostimulation for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain and chronic neuropathic pain of the lower extremity: a comprehensive review of the published data. Pain Med 2020. [In press]

• Under Development

  • Basivertebral Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation

  • Caudal Epidural Steroid Injections

  • Cervical Disc Access

  • Cervical Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections

  • Intradiscal Biologics for Discogenic Pain

  • Lumbar Facet Access/Injection

  • Sacral Lateral Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy

  • Spinal Cord Stimulation

  • Vertebral Augmentation

New for 2020!  Complete your EBM Discussion Session component online via webinar.

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE PATIENT SAFETY COMMITTEE/STANDARDS DIVISION

• Safety Notices

• FactFinders

• Developed new multipart In-Depth Anatomy: Cervicogenic Headache video series.

• Adapted SIS Bio-Skills Lab Core Curriculum lectures for a new video series.

• Developed a new Regenerative Spine Therapies: Are We There Yet? video.

• Adapted all educational content developed for the 2020 Annual Meeting for the 2020 Virtual Meeting.

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DIVISION

• ANZCA FPM: Procedures in Pain Medicine – Clinical Care Standard
  The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) Faculty of Pain Medicine (FPM) developed a clinical care standard for procedures in pain medicine. During the comment period, the International Division and Standards Division reviewed and responded with a letter of support.