The European Pain Federation EFIC and Pain Alliance Europe (PAE) are strengthening their links, aiming to bring together the healthcare professionals and the patients. This is starting quite practically, with PAE joining EFIC in their offices in the heart of the EU quarter. Sharing this working space and discussing ideas and projects more frequently is going to be the start of a new era of collaboration.
Commenting, Professor Bart Morlion said: “During my years at EFIC I got more and more convinced of the need and the added value of teaming up with the central actors in pain: the patients. At the start of my presidency, I announced that a “personal goal is to strengthen the collaboration with patient organizations. As EU liaison officer for our federation over the past three years, I have learnt that teaming up with the patient is extremely important in moving forward. Therefore, I want to keep the patient’s slogan in mind: “Nothing about us, without us!”
Last year, EFIC started a new track in its work, aiming to provide information for patients and to involve patients in its projects. We provided ‘patient plenaries’ at our last scientific congress (LINK needed), as well as developing sessions on the congress program directly with patient involvement. Look out for more developments like these over the coming years.
Below, a brief quote of Joop van Griensven, PAE President
“Ever since the founding of Pain Alliance Europe (PAE) 2011, there has been a relationship between the European Pain Federation (EFIC) and PAE. This was first shown during the EFIC counselors’ meeting in Copenhagen 2012, where PAE presented its vision, aims, and goals. This was also the first place where both parties agreed that cooperation, in order to improve the quality of life for people with pain, was a logical and necessary step. In the following years, mutual respect and trust grew and it was demonstrated in supporting activities such as the Brain, Mind Pain Patient-Centred Innovation Grant, the EFIC Congress and in projects such as the Societal Impact of Pain, the European Pain Forum, and the stakeholders’ group on the EU health platform.The latest step was the moving of PAE’s office to the same building where EFIC has its office. For PAE this is the next stage to improve and strengthen the relationship between EFIC and PAE”.
