Pain, and particularly chronic pain, is one of the most common problems among the elderly, who represent 13% of the U.S. population and the largest group of individuals seeking health care. Controlling pain in this population is more challenging for health care providers because the elderly often have multiple health problems and take many medications in addition to the physiologic changes of aging.

Pharmaceutical agents are not generally tested in this population, leaving health care providers to ''start low and go slow,'' in order to avoid adverse reactions when prescribing new medications, particularly pain medications.

From her experience in critical care and neuroscience nursing and work as a GNP, Dr. Jansen will focus on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic pain among older adults with interventional, noninterventional, pharmacotherapeutic, and nonpharmacotherapeutic methods.