Most of you will probably have heard of the new criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) which were published in the Journal of Internal Medicine in October 2011.
Full reference (without mentioning the 2 dozen authors):
From the responses to my previous article (comments, Facebook, Twitter, email) I learned that several patients had already given the new criteria to their doctor(s). I urge everyone to do the same: print the article and give it to your doctor, specialist, and maybe even to your physiotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrist.
It is important for Belgian patients to do this as quickly as possible. The approach to CFS (ME doesn’t exist here) is going to change. The treatment of patients will be transferred from the third line (the infamous CFS reference centers) to the first line (family doctors) of healthcare. Earlier announcements mentioned that family doctors would have to work together with psychologists (for CBT) and physiotherapists (for GET). This means that more patients will be exposed to a biopsychosocial treatment.
Now it is apparently up to Domus Medica (a non profit), local organizations of family doctors, and local multidisciplinary networks to found consortia for the treatment of CFS. Each consortium will have to submit an action plan before the end of October. I talked to my family doctor about this two weeks ago, but all she knew came from one article in the Artsenkrant (magazine for doctors, September 13, 2011, page 2, Dutch only). How, what, who and funding remains unclear. Seems like an organisational mess to me.
However, this means that there will be a lot of meetings the following weeks and that doctors will have to talk to each other about this disease. This is the ideal moment to give them some decent information. If you have to go to your family doctor or any other doctor, maybe even to your physiotherapist, psychiatrist or psychologist in the following weeks, give them a print of the new international consensus criteria for ME.
| That’s one small step for a patient, one giant leap for the cause. |
| Johan Mares |
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Heb je dit ook in Nederlands, Frans?
sorry Johan zie he tnu rechts staan. Goede oproep en leuk dat de toestand ook is uitgelegd in andere taal
In het Nederlands ja: http://www.pugilator.com/awareness/oproep-aan-alle-belgische-mecvs-patienten-oktober-2011/
I translated the full text in French before your patients’ organization in Belgium did it. I did it for my doctor, and I’m showing this to him. He carefully read the Canadian Criteria and I guess? he will be pleased to know there was an International consensus being published…
But now he’s on sick leave (yup docs do get sick sometimes) and will not be able to see him until next month but I’m giving him a copy of the original version I translated.
Take care!
Alex
Ps: love your new profile picture
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