A Road Map for Action

The impact of SIP 2011 a "Road Map for Action" on Switzerland

Following the successful 2^nd SIP Symposium in the EU Parliament in Brussels last year, Professor Eli Alon, President of the Swiss Association for the Study of Pain (SGSS), held a press conference in Zurich 16.07.2011 where he informed about the “Road Map for Action” and its seven policy dimensions for an improved pain care in Europe.[

According to dimension No 6, which calls for the development of national SIP platforms in the European Member States, a first Swiss SIP steering group meeting took place in Zurich on 6 September 2012.

15 stakeholders from medicine, politics, academia and the health system were invited to a brainstorming meeting and for deep discussion on chronic pain treatment in Switzerland. Professor Kress, President of EFIC®, gave an overview of the last three SIP Symposia from 2010 to 2012 and the aims of European platform.

Key Outcomes:

• The first and most important topic in Switzerland is the fact that there is no title or diploma for doctors who are specialists for pain diagnosis and treatment. Since several years the goal of the SGSS has been to achieve an official status as pain specialist. The discussion during this meeting showed that the topic is still of utmost relevance for all stakeholders.
• The second topic was about “best practice”: On the one hand the quality of pain therapists has to be built (medical education at universities) and maintained (quality control, credits, etc.); on the other hand clear treatment guidelines have to be defined.
• The third topic was “pain research”. At the moment over 50 groups do research on pain therapy; in addition there is an alliance of four Swiss university clinics which coordinates studies at this level. The aim of the SGSS in the future will be to be involved in choosing research-topics to improve the general knowledge in pain disorders and treatment possibilities.

Further ideas and topics were discussed. The second follow-up Swiss SIP steering group meeting is planned for spring 2013.

Rheumatic / Musculoskeletal Diseases & Pain

On 26 June there took place the 9th Interest Group on Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases in the European Parliament with special focus on pain: "RMDs and Pain: Facts and Findings". 

Chaired by Irish MEP Jim Higgins, Professor Giustino Varrassi (past president EFIC), Mr Joop van Griensven (President of the Pain Alliance Europe, PAE), and Mr Neil Betteridge (Vice President of EULAR, representing People with Arthritis/Rheumatism in Europe, PARE) shared their insights on the topic and stirred-up the discussion which followed.

Here you can find the EULAR IG meeting agenda.

Here you can find the EULAR IG meeting minutes. 

Here you can find the presentation by PAE president Joop van Griensven. 

Here you can find the presentation by VP EULAR Neil Betteridge. 

"Danish Satellite Symposium - 29 May 13:00 - 17:00"

On 29 May the Danish language symposium will be held. This event will start at 13:00. The current situation of chronic pain will be discussed, as well as how it should be, the future and how we should proceed. At the end a panel discussion will be held from 16:00 - 17:00. For more detailed information, please find here the final program.

View the SIP and Danish Satellite Symposium programs!

The most recently updated versions of the SIP 2012 program (29 - 31 May) and the program of the Danish Satellite Symposium (29 May) are now online!

Please click here for the draft program of the full SIP Symposium, to be held on 29 - 31 May 2012.

Please click here for the draft program of the Danish Satellite Symposium, to be held on 29 May. 

Chronic Pain as Disease – Politics or Science?

International multi-stakeholder platform to discuss the position of chronic pain amongst chronic diseases - 3^rd European symposium on the “Societal Impact of Pain” (SIP) taking place during Danish EU Presidency in Copenhagen

Brussels, 20 March, 2012. The 3^rd European symposium on the “Societal Impact of Pain” (SIP 2012) will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark on 29-31 May. On the occasion of the Danish EU Presidency, more than 300 stakeholders from across Europe will come together to continue raising awareness on the societal impact of pain, exchanging national best practices of pain care policy projects and fostering the EU-wide implementation of the “Road Map for Action”, the action plan and key result from the 2^nd SIP symposium, which took place in the EU Parliament in Brussels in 2011.

Read the full SIP 2012 Press Release. 

Monitor on national pain care in EU-countries

Most of us know what it is like to have pain and to go to a doctor for getting medication, physiotherapy or other treatments. What most of us are not aware of is how pain is being managed in other countries of Europe. Will a GP prescribe a pain drug in UK? Are physicians specially trained for treating pain patients in Spain? Do patients have access to pain specialists in Portugal? Do politicians recognise the need for pain care in Italy? Is pain care in Scandinavia really better than in southern-EU countries?

Together with the European umbrella organisation for the study of pain (EFIC®), Grünenthal Governmenthal Affairs & Health Policy has developed a European Monitor to give a quick and country-specific overview of the situation of pain care in most European countries.

Please view the full European Road Map Monitor 2011. 

On 30 and 31 May 2012 in the Bella Sky Congress Hall Foyer, a SIP 2012 "Marketplace" will be held. This is an informal area where our SIP partners and stakeholders can present stakeholder materials and get in contact with other participants. No commercial promotion or products may be displayed during the Marketplace. All items that are displayed must be topics related to the Societal Impact of Pain. 

For more detailed information about the setup, please click on this document.