ROSWELL, Ga., March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimberly-Clark Health Care today announced the availability of a new, proprietary online learning portal to boost understanding and knowledge of its interventional pain management procedures among clinicians and support staff. The portal was built to function as a central repository of educational information for clinicians to review and refresh clinical techniques.

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According to the American Pain Foundation, more than 32 million Americans report suffering from chronic spinal pain annually and nine out of 10 Americans will experience chronic pain during their lifetime. More than $50 billion is spent each year alone on low back pain making it the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work(1).  Kimberly-Clark Health Care offers a portfolio of minimally-invasive, non-surgical pain management solutions for chronic spinal pain. The portal is designed to provide visually instructive training videos and other valuable learning assets to supplement the hands-on, cadaver training sessions for its portfolio of pain treatment options.

"The release of the Kimberly-Clark Health Care training portal exemplifies our commitment for providing additional, practical education and guidance on what is widely considered the most advanced and innovative treatment offering for a difficult medical issue to manage – chronic spinal pain," said Lisa Kudlacz, General Manager, Global Pain Management, Kimberly-Clark Health Care. "Our goal is to provide practitioners with the necessary tools and techniques to provide patients with an improved quality of life."

The online learning portal will feature best practices guidelines, online tutorials and training videos to prepare clinicians for in-lab cadaver demonstrations. The portal will also enable clinicians to view live procedures, interact and share best practices, pose questions and correspond in real-time with colleagues around the country.

"Pain management procedures require operational knowledge to apply the right technique and approach to garner the optimal outcome for the patient," said Mehul J. Desai, MD, MPH, Director, Pain Medicine and Non-Operative Spine Services of the GW Pain Center at The George Washington University Hospital. "We are proud to be among the early users of this educational offering as we are focused intently on delivering on our commitment for better patient outcomes."

In the first installation, the portal includes step-by-step instructions for the following systems:

• SINERGY Cooled Radiofrequency Pain Management System for chronic sacroiliac joint pain
• TRANSDISCAL Cooled Radiofrequency Pain Management System for intervertebral disc biacuplasty
• LUMBARCOOL Cooled Radiofrequency Pain Management System for lumbar medial branch neurotomy
• THORACOOL Cooled Radiofrequency Pain Management System for chronic, thoracic facet pain

To access and register for the online learning portal visit http://www.docstream.com/kcpain

Kimberly-Clark in the Healthcare Environment
Around the world, medical professionals turn to Kimberly-Clark for a wide portfolio of solutions that improve the health, hygiene and well-being of patients and hospital staff. As part of their healing mission, caregivers rely on Kimberly-Clark to deliver clinical solutions and educational resources that they can depend on to prevent, diagnose and manage a wide variety of healthcare-associated infections. As a global enterprise with more than $1 billion in annual sales, Kimberly-Clark Health Care holds the No. 1 and No. 2 market share positions in several categories including; infection control solutions, surgical solutions, pain management and digestive health. Throughout the care continuum, patients and staff alike trust Kimberly-Clark medical supplies and devices, KLEENEX tissues, Kimberly-Clark Professional skin care products and SCOTT towels for day-to-day needs. For more information, please visit http://www.kchealthcare.com

(1)"Low Back Pain Fact Sheet." National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. NIH Publication, 2003. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm

SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Health Care