SIP 2013 Focus Groups for concrete policy outcomes
After three SIP Symposia, this year’s SIP Focus Groups will concentrate on two topics for generating concrete policy instruments and improving chronic pain management in Europe
Brussels/Belgium, 06 March, 2013. This year the European, multi-stakeholder platform “Societal Impact of Pain” (SIP) will organise their annual meeting in the form of SIP 2013 Focus Groups, which will be hosted in the EU Economic & Social Committee and the EU Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on 14-15 May. The aim of the SIP Platform is to raise awareness of the impact of chronic pain, to exchange information and share best-practices across the European Union and to develop and foster policy strategies and activities to improve pain care in Europe. After three European symposia in 2010-2012, the SIP Programme Committee has decided to concentrate on two topics to generate concrete policy instruments for Europe and its Member States: While SIP Focus Group 1 (14 May) will develop “SIP Recommendations” for a European set of quality indicators for chronic non-malignant pain management, SIP Focus Group 2 (15 May) will stress the correlation of chronic pain and the reduction or loss of work productivity and the workforce, respectively, and will generate a “SIP Proposal for Action” on EU best practices for reintegrating chronic pain patients back into their working environment. Registration link is available at www.sip-platform.eu
The topics of the SIP Focus Groups as selected by the SIP Programme Committee are closely related to one of the seven policy dimensions of the SIP Road Map for Action. The Road Map was a key result from SIP 2011 symposium outlining seven policy dimensions on how the EU institutions and member states can effectively address the societal impact of pain at EU level. The Focus Groups will provide a forum for inspirational key note presentations and in-depth plenary discussion.
Professor Hans Georg Kress, President of the European Federation of IASP® Chapters (EFIC®), explains the background: “It is important to make chronic pain visible as a medical, economical and societal disease. Chronic pain has a big influence on someone’s daily life, working life and family life. We want to make sure that politicians and policy-makers in Europe and in the Member States are aware of the societal impact of chronic pain. Therefore, the outcomes of both Focus Groups shall give concrete suggestions on how we can effectively change pain management and thus improve the quality of life for our patients.”
Here you can find the complete EU SIP 2013 Press Release.
Please find here the Spanish Press Release (Impacto Social del Dolor: Grupos de Discusión SIP 2013 para concretar soluciones políticas).
Please find here the Portuguese Press Release (Especialistas pretendem criar instrumentos políticos europeus para melhorar a gestão da dor).
Please find here the German Press Release (Societal Impact of Pain: SIP Fokusgruppen 2013 für konkrete politische Maßnahmen).
Please find here the French Press Release (Impact sociétal de la douleur: groupes de réflexion du SIP 2013 pour des solutions politiques concrètes).
Please find here the Italian Press Release (SIP (Societal Impact of Pain) 2013: Focus Group finalizzati a risultati politici concreti).
New EU Partnership Project on Pain Patient Pathways Recommendations
Representatives from Patient Group, Civic Organisation and Industry enter into new collaborative project to improve the management of chronic pain in the EU
Brussels / Rome / Aachen, 20 November 2012. Pain Alliance Europe (PAE) representing chronic pain patients in Europe, Active Citizenship Network (ACN) and Grünenthal have entered into an official partnership on the development of European Pain Patient Pathways Recommendations. The projects will run until December 2014 and aims to create a greater awareness of chronic pain and to promote European policy-making for improved management of chronic pain.
While the political framework of the project is designed by PAE representing the patients’ voice in Europe, ACN will be responsible for the scientific design, methodology and contents. The pharmaceutical company Grünenthal will be responsible for financial and non-financial support.
“Chronic pain is a significant societal and economic burden in Europe: For the people affected, for their caregivers, but also for our health care systems”, explains Joop van Griensven, PAE President. “PAE’s mission is to improve the quality of life of people who have to live with chronic pain day by day. With this partnership patients all over Europe can work together to identify with all stakeholders best practice, accessibility and possibilities for effective pain treatment. By doing this we can develop a proposal for pain management for all European Member States in a joint and coordinated effort”.
More information is available on the ACN Project Website.
Here you can find the full European Press Release. Please read here the Italian Press Release, the Spanish Press Release, the Portuguese Press Release, the French Press Release, the Dutch Press Release or the German Press Release.
European Positioning Statement: Chronic Pain
International multi-stakeholder platform acknowledges chronic pain as disease in its own – European policy-makers challenged to respond
Watch the complete SIP 2012 Press Conference
Copenhagen, 31 May, 2012. On occasion of the 3rd international symposium on the “Societal Impact of Pain” (SIP 2012) in Copenhagen, Denmark on 29-31 May, a European multi-stakeholder expert group finalised their positioning paper demanding acknowledgement of chronic pain as disease in its own by EU governmental institutions and member state governments. During the Danish EU Presidency, more than 400 stakeholders from more than 30 countries came together to raise awareness on the societal impact of pain, exchange national best practices and foster European and national pain care policy projects. The symposium took place under the high patronage of the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Italian Ministry of Health. The scientific aims of SIP 2012 were endorsed by more than 160 international organisations.
Following the report “Reflection process on chronic diseases in the EU – the role of chronic pain”[i], which has been published during the symposium on 30th May, the overall impact of pain measured in terms of prevalence and cost is high; frequently chronic pain is prevalent in those patients who already have one or more than one chronic disease; in particular with the elderly population a strong link between the increase of age and the prevalence of chronic pain could be shown. The costs which arise from this high prevalent condition for our health care system are significant.
Anna Rosbach, Danish Member of the European Parliament, supports the findings of the report: “Chronic pain is a burden to millions of people in Europe. Because the pain is chronic it is often not considered a disease by society and health care systems. This must be changed. Chronic pain should no longer be given less attention and care than temporary pain.”
[i] N. Armstrong, J. Kleijnen: “Reflection process on chronic diseases in the EU – the role of chronic pain”, Kleijnen Systematic Review Ltd., 2012.
Read the full SIP 2012 May press release.
Read here the SIP 2012 May Spanish version.
Read here the SIP 2012 May German version.
Read here the SIP 2012 June Italian version.
Please find above a Portuguese TV news report published in national television on the 11th of June (Portugese).
Please find here a BBC Radio Interview with Jim Wells (MLA) and Dr Pamela Bell on 1 May 2012.
Here you can find SIP 2012 pictures / impressions.