Dear Reader,
After a very fruitful first half year of 2017, it is now time to follow up and consolidate on what has been achieved so far.
After our investments in the Societal Impact of Pain Symposium, our involvement with DG SANTE to get a European Platform for Chronic Pain and the achievements made by our partners within IASP and EFIC within the ICD 11, our investments to consolidate and improve starts now. As a dessert, we were happy to hear about the Council’s conclusions in which the ministers of Health from the 28 EU countries asked for an assessment of the access to pain management in the countries.
However, this also features a heavy responsibility on PAE as an organisation, but also on you members and sympathizers, to inform us how the situation is in your country on the access of pain management. Who is able to follow any treatment? Who gets reimbursed, are all chronic pain conditions included? What is the distance to the pain centre, and is it possible for the patient to actually get there? Gathering all this data is very important for us to be able to formulate our questions for the decision makers. We need to present the situation from the perspective of the patient.
These are only some of the aspects and we need to get insights from patients which would allow a detailed analysis, with a European perspective. This motivates us to continue the European survey on chronic pain project, started in 2016 whose first report has been presented during the SIP symposium. Next year, the focus will be on the topics work/income and social exclusion/stigma.
We also recognize that more research on chronic pain is needed. But then again, research should be aimed at the patients’ needs/benefits. To bring our contribution and make patients’ voice important, PAE together with Grünenthal will issue a call in September on a biennial grant on patient-driven, patient-centred innovation. Patient organisations, being a PAE member or not, are strongly invited to team up with other stakeholders and reply to that call. This is your moment to do something for the benefit of your members, the patients.
You will read more about this furthering this newsletter. Also, you will read more about what our members have been doing or planning to do.
You will read on the outcome of our General Assembly held in Malta in June. You will read about our involvement in the European Pain Federation/EFIC congress in Copenhagen.
You will also read something on our closing event of the Red Balloon project and where you may find the video/photos of the event.
Dear members and sympathizers, it is now time to enjoy your well-earned vacation.
However when “back in the office” remember to bring your contribution to the cause of the patients, by gathering and transmitting the information needed to give the chronic pain patients an even stronger voice than they have now.
Joop Van Griensven
PAE President
