2023-10-31 15:38:00
In Italy almost 4 out of 10 patients wait at least 5 years for a correct diagnosis of chronic pain. Few of them, despite the strong impact on their quality of life, know their rights and the services for managing their condition which, in 41% of cases, has lasted for more than 10 years. It is the first photograph taken of this reality in our country thanks to a web survey promoted by ‘Relief dimension – at the center of chronic pain’, the first Italian community on pain born in 2020 from a Grünenthal initiative to respond to the need for patients and caregivers to access reliable information and dedicated services. The platform, which is developed on Facebooka dedicated site and on Spotify, with over 18,500 followers including patients and caregivers, particularly active on Facebook – we read on the pharmaceutical company’s website – brings together and represents the digital community dedicated to pain in Italy.
“Patients in Italy can wait years before receiving a correct diagnosis and setting up adequate therapies – states Laura Premoli, General Manager of Grünenthal Italia – and their own needs are often unheard. In all phases of disease management, the need for inform yourself, discuss and identify specific points of reference. For this reason we have created a multi-channel digital platform, which we develop over time based on what the community itself requests and expresses”.
The Dimensione Relief digital survey, managed with the support of Vmly&R Health, questioned the community to find out what patients feel, their unexpressed needs and expectations. It therefore emerges that chronic pain impacts the quality of life of 96% of patients, affecting at least 3 or 4 aspects: taking care of yourself; interact as desired with loved ones; move and walk; do physical activity; maintaining the job or role. Important implications are also recorded on social activities (56%), motor activities and mood itself (67%), with over half (53%) recording a compromised quality of sleep.
To the question “how many years have you suffered from chronic pain?”, 41% of the community responds “for more than 10 years”, while for one in 3 people it ranges from 1 to 5 years. On average, only 32% of users surveyed received a diagnosis in less than a year; approximately 38% received it within 5 years, 29% have to wait more than 5 years and, even, 5% wait a decade for a definitive diagnosis.
On the rights and dedicated services, as provided for by law 38, even if there is awareness that there are specialized centers in the area, over 55% of those interviewed did not turn to these facilities for pain management. And precisely on law 38, known to 47% of the community, only 15% report knowing the rights it establishes well. It is particularly striking that 39% declare having heard about the pain regulation for the first time during the Dimensione relieve web survey.
“One of the significant data emerging from the survey – comments Premoli – is that relating to the high impact of chronic pain on the quality of life. What patients feel tells us that there is still a lot to do, in terms of information and health system. The numbers in fact give us a dimension of the problem and represent the stories of the people who experience this chronic condition, who cannot remain unheard or unacknowledged”.
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