Schatman – Clinical Assessment Tools

In this video, Dr. Schatman, a clinical psychologist with over 37 years of experience in pain management discusses the role of psychologists in treating patients with chronic pain, particularly those with complex issues such as opioid dependence. He emphasizes the need for better assessment tools, such as the PMQ and SOAP, to identify patients at risk for opioid misuse, advocating against the use of outdated and ineffective tools like the ORT. He stresses the importance of individualized patient care, the need for empirical validation of assessment tools, and the balance between caution and compassion in prescribing opioids.