Managing Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder

In this presentation, Dr. Alicia Kowalchuk and Dr. Sung In Hillary Kim-Vences discuss issues surrounding care for patients with chronic pain, and considerations for preventing and managing opioid use disorder in the inpatient and ambulatory care settings.
This Section of General Internal Medicine Series session took place on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 12:15 p.m. and has been approved for CME and Pain Management credit.

Activity Information

How to Claim Credit

You may claim credit after watching this activity.

You will be redirected to the BCM DCPD credit management site when claiming credit and may be asked to register or log in.

Needs Statement

General internists (hospitalists and primary care clinicians) prevent, diagnose, and treat a wide spectrum of complex medical conditions requiring ongoing education to stay current with evolving clinical guidelines and to effectively manage complex medical conditions across inpatient and outpatient settings. Educational needs include improving knowledge and competence in perioperative cardiovascular risk assessment and management, particularly in applying updated evidence-based guidelines, enhancing the ability to care for adult patients with cardiovascular conditions such as heart failure, stroke, and congenital heart disease. For example, the management of congenital heart disease may differ significantly from that of patients with acquired cardiovascular disease. Additionally, clinicians need training in developing practical skills in nutrition therapy, including the use of food as medicine to support chronic disease management, and effective bedside teaching strategies to support learner development and in fostering professionalism as a foundation for high-quality, patient-centered care.

Educational Objectives

At the conclusion of the activity, the participants should be able to:

  • Describe the epidemiology of chronic pain and opioid use disorders.
  • Discuss management of chronic pain in the ambulatory and inpatient setting.
  • Review the management of opioid use disorder in the ambulatory and inpatient settings.

Target Audience

Professional Categories

  • Physicians
  • Medical Students
  • Fellows
  • Residents
  • Nurses
  • Other Health Professionals

Specialties

  • Internal Medicine

Interest Groups

  • Hospital Medicine
  • Opioid and Pain Management
  • Primary Care

Activity Evaluation

Evaluation by questionnaire will address program content, presentation, and possible bias.

Educational Methods

  • Lectures

Accreditation/Credit Designation

Baylor College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Baylor College of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity has been designated by Baylor College of Medicine for 1 credit of education in pain management and the prescription of opioids.

Activity Directors

  1. Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine
  2. Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Associate Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

Term of Approval

December 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027. Original release date: December 1, 2025.

Disclosure Policy

Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. BCM is committed to sponsoring CE activities that are scientifically based, accurate, current, and objectively presented.

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, BCM has implemented a mechanism requiring everyone in a position to control the content of an educational activity (i.e., directors, planning committee members, faculty) to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests (drug/device companies) and manage/resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. Individuals must disclose to participants the existence or non-existence of financial relationships at the time of the activity or within 24 months prior.

In addition, BCM has requested activity faculty/presenters to disclose to participants any unlabeled use or investigational use of pharmaceutical/device products; to use scientific or generic names (not trade names) in referring to products; and, if necessary to use a trade name, to use the names of similar products or those within a class. Faculty/presenters have also been requested to adhere to the ACCME's validation of clinical content statements.

BCM does not view the existence of financial relationships with commercial interests as implying bias or decreasing the value of a presentation. It is up to participants to determine whether the relationships influence the activity faculty with regard to exposition or conclusions. If at any time during this activity you feel that there has been commercial/promotional bias, notify the Activity Director or Activity Coordinator. Please answer the questions about balance and objectivity in the activity evaluation candidly.

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

Disclosures

The following individual(s) has/have reported financial or other relationship(s) with commercial entities whose products/services may relate to the educational content of this activity:

Presenters

  1. Sung In Hillary Kim-Vences, M.D.

    Sung In Hillary Kim-Vences, M.D.

    Hospitalist; Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Family & Community Medicine - Research Program
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  2. Alicia Kowalchuk, D.O., FASAM

    Alicia Kowalchuk, D.O., FASAM

    Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

Activity Directors

  1. Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  2. Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Associate Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

Planning Committee Members

  1. Fabrizio Canepa Escaro, M.D.

    Fabrizio Canepa Escaro, M.D.

    Assistant Professor of Medicine
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  2. Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.

    Associate Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  3. Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Cara A. Foldes, M.D., M.P.H.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  4. Hannah Hoff, M.D. Placeholder Image

    Hannah Hoff, M.D.

    Internal Medicine Resident
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  5. Nehal Patel Jain, M.D.

    Nehal Patel Jain, M.D.

    Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  6. Kristen Lavere, M.D.

    Kristen Lavere, M.D.

    Internal Medicine Resident
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  7. Cody Moore, M.D. Placeholder Image

    Cody Moore, M.D.

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  8. Nikhil Seth, M.D. Placeholder Image

    Nikhil Seth, M.D.

    Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine; Hospitalist
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  9. Stephanie Sherman, M.D.

    Stephanie Sherman, M.D.

    Associate Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:

    Nothing to disclose.

  10. Isabel Valdez, PA-C, MPAS, CPAAPA

    Isabel Valdez, PA-C, MPAS, CPAAPA

    Instructor
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Disclosure:
    • Advisory Committee Membership: Iqvia (ended)

Presenters:

Sung In Hillary Kim-Vences, M.D.

Sung In Hillary Kim-Vences, M.D.

Hospitalist; Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Family & Community Medicine - Research Program Baylor College of Medicine
Alicia Kowalchuk, D.O., FASAM

Alicia Kowalchuk, D.O., FASAM

Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine Baylor College of Medicine

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