PANACEA Case Study: EFIC's Role in European Research Collaboration
The European Pain Federation EFIC combines scientific expertise with strategic communication and organisational capacity to deliver high-impact results in European research projects:
Strong integration of scientific input and dissemination expertise
Ability to translate complex research into clear, accessible communication
Use of modern digital tools and formats
Proven success: 92/100 score for dissemination, with targets exceeded
About the PANACEA Project
The PANACEA project (Special Needs by Placebo Programme to Advise, Normalise and Control its European Administration) is a European initiative funded under the Erasmus+ programme. The project addresses a key gap in healthcare education: the lack of structured training on placebo and nocebo effects in clinical practice. Although these mechanisms significantly influence treatment outcomes—especially in pain medicine—they are often underrepresented in medical education. PANACEA bridges this gap by transforming scientific evidence into practical, accessible educational resources for healthcare professionals and students.
Key outputs of the project include:
Why This Matters for Pain and Healthcare
By combining research, education, and digital innovation, PANACEA contributes to improving healthcare training across Europe. Placebo and nocebo effects play a crucial role in healthcare outcomes.
Positive expectations and effective communication can improve treatment results
Negative expectations or poor communication can worsen symptoms and reduce efficacy
These effects are particularly relevant in pain management, where patient perception and clinician interaction directly influence outcomes. Despite their importance, many healthcare professionals receive little formal training in managing these mechanisms. The PANACEA project addresses this need by:
This aligns closely with EFIC's mission to advance pain research, education, and clinical practice across Europe.
EFIC's Role in the PANACEA Consortium
Within the PANACEA project, EFIC played a dual role combining scientific expertise and dissemination leadership.
Scientific contribution
EFIC contributed its expertise in pain research and clinical practice, ensuring that project outputs are relevant and applicable in real-world healthcare settings. EFIC also led a Europe-wide study exploring:
These insights directly informed the development of the project's educational materials.
Dissemination leadership
EFIC was responsible for developing and implementing the project's dissemination strategy, ensuring that results reached key stakeholders across Europe. Through its network of approximately 20,000 healthcare professionals, EFIC connected scientific outputs with:
This combination of roles ensured both scientific quality and real-world impact.
EFIC's Dissemination Approach in EU Projects
EFIC delivers structured, results-driven dissemination strategies tailored to European research collaborations.
Core components include:
This approach ensures that research outputs are not only visible, but also understood, adopted, and sustained.
Dissemination Strategy and Activities
EFIC implemented a multi-channel dissemination strategy designed to maximise reach and long-term impact.
Objectives
Target audiences
Key activities
Events
The PANACEA Final Conference, organised as a hybrid event, attracted a broad European audience of clinicians, researchers, and educators with over 800 registrations. These activities ensured strong visibility and engagement across multiple stakeholder groups. A recording of the event can be watched here:
Results and Impact
The PANACEA project achieved strong evaluation results, particularly in dissemination:
Key outcomes
The project successfully produced validated, transferable outputs that can strengthen healthcare education across Europe.
EFIC's Role in Research Project Dissemination
EFIC is a trusted partner for dissemination in European research projects, offering: