The following page contains a list of the special projects addressing professional practice issues currently being undertaken by the PPS. This list will be periodically updated. If you have any questions, comments or interest in any aspect of these projects, please contact the designated staff person. CURRENT PROJECTS

Project: Pain & Symptom Management

Description: The Advisory Committee on Pain and Symptom Management regularly meets to implement major recommendations of the ACPSM Report of 2002 and to continually develop new recommendations. Information regarding the ongoing activities of the committee is available on Michigan's Pain and Symptom Management website at www.michigan.gov/painmanagement

Target Date for Completion: A draft of recommendations will be developed by November of 2007. A final set of recommendations and white paper for the Governor's consideration to be completed by June of 2008.

Update: A preliminary report to the Director of the Department of Community Health was completed in December of 2007. A FY 2008 Report is targeted for completion by December 2008. In FY 2007, a study was conducted with the Michigan Cancer Consortium which indicated that a lack of pain management at the end of life was still a serious problem in spite of nearly 15 years of efforts in Michigan to address this issue. Based on this finding, the MDCH approved a new position within the PPS section to oversee Michigan's first pain management program. The new Pain Management and Palliative Care Coordinator will develop, implement and continually assess statewide strategies to improve pain management for every citizen of Michigan by educating both health care professionals and the public.

Contact: Susan Affholter @ affholters@michigan.gov

Project: Patient Safety

Description: Patient safety is a growing concern nationwide. In September of 2004, the Governor designated the Michigan Health and Safety Coalition to act as the State Commission on Patient Safety (SCPS) per Public Act 119-04. In November of 2005, the SCPS issued a final report to Governor entitled "Call to Action: A Plan to Improve Patient Safety in Michigan's Health Care System". The PPS staff have been involved with a number of patient safety projects that address some the the recommendations of the SCPS report, such as addressing the need for more patient safety education among health professionals and the integration of patient safety in the licensing and regulatory process. Staff designed a State of Michigan patient safety website for both the public and health professionals at www.michigan.gov/patientsafety

Target Date for Completion: The State of Michigan's Patient Safety website was launched October 15, 2007.

Update: The website is continually updated and has earned "best of the web" recognition by the State of Michigan. Section staff regularly meets with a Bureau workgroup addressing patient safety in Michigan.

Contact: Steven Creamer @ creamers1@michigan.gov

Project: Public Forum Newsletter

Description: The Bureau of Health Professions is continually working to improve the public safety. Public Forum newsletter is an ongoing project that the Bureau is using to improve the information flow to the public about their regulatory rights. To access this quarterly newsletter,visit www.michigan.gov/healthlicense  and select the Public Forum newsletter link in the Spotlight box. You can view previous issues and sign up to receive future editions automatically (electronically only).

Target Date for Completion: This is an ongoing project.

Contact: Doreen Lyman @ lymand@michigan.gov

Project: E-Health in Michigan

Description: The Director of the Bureau of Health Professions of the Department of Community Health convened a workgroup in 2005 to examine issues associated with the delivery of health care through the use of various technologies utilized to gather, analyze, store and transmit patient health data. The group met four times over the period of a year to explore the practice of E-Health in Michigan and across the country.

Target Date for Completion: Draft recommendations were completed in October 2007, with a target date of December 2007 for completion.

Update: A final report was submitted to the Director of MDCH in March 2008. In June 2008 the Director approved the Bureau of Health Professions to move forward with implementing the major recommendations of the report, including the establishment of a special purpose license for out-of-state physicians delivering health care to Michigan patients via E-Health technology, adoption of the Federation of State Medical Board's Model Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of the Internet in Medical Practice, and drafting legislation to establish the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Standards (VIPPS) to protect Michigan citizens against unlawful internet prescribing. The E-Health report can be accessed below:

FY 2008 Report and Recommendations of the E-Health Workgroup

Contact: Steve Creamer @ creamers1@michigan.gov 

Project: Sexual Boundary Investigation

Description: An investigation of various states' rules and policies concerning Sexual Boundaries. Evaluate information from professional organizations and other sources to make recommendations to the Bureau of Health Professions concerning the issues around sexual boundaries between health care providers and patients.

Target Date for Completion: A draft of recommendations was completed in September 2007. A brochure for the public and a brochure for health care providers were developed in early FY 2008, and strategies for distributing the brochures are currently being developed. The brochures are available below:

Sexual Boundary Awareness for the Public

Sexual Boundary Awareness for Health Professionals

Contact: Steve Creamer @ creamers1@michigan.gov