The Parliament of Catalonia today has unanimously passed a resolution on care and treatment of these two diseases

Primary health care has an outstanding role in diagnosis and treatments of these pathologies

In one year’s time eleven specialized inpatient units treating the most complex patients will be operating

This morning the Parliament of Catalonia has unanimously passed a resolution on care and treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. The proposal acknowledges these diseases significantly affect people’s health and quality of life, and have a great social and economic impact.

The resolution sets up a public system that should provide a good differential diagnosis and treatment to rationalize and improve care for people affected.

Among other measures, it is intended to optimize actions implemented in primary health care as well as in specialized inpatient units, which will be provided with multidisciplinary teams.

In one year’s time Catalonia shall have eleven specialized units that will treat the most complex cases: 4 in Barcelona Health Region (now there are 3 units operating: Hospital Clínic, Hospital del Mar, Vall d’Hebron), 1 in Terres de l’Ebre and Camp de Tarragona health regions, 1 in Lleida and Alt Pirineu i Aran, 1 in Girona and 1 in Catalunya Central.

The text gathers the importance of continuous vocational training for health care professionals and the right of people affected to submit reports issued by specialized inpatient units to certify incapacity for work allowance. The resolution also includes the creation of a monitoring committee on health care, with the participation of scientific societies and different organizations representing patients.

Once approved, the Minister of Health, Marina Geli, has expressed her satisfaction with the approval of this resolution and underlined that the Government of Catalonia is the first Public Administration in Europe to provide specific care for these diseases.

Marina Geli underscoring the primary health care capacity and key role on the diagnosis of these diseases, and reminded specialized inpatients units are designed to treat those patients presenting a more complex pathology.



New model of care for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome

The Ministry of Health has given priority to care for people suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. These chronic diseases can severely affect patients’ quality of life.

In this sense, in 2005, an Expert Panel was created to address these health problems, with the participation of scientific societies, the Agency for Evaluation of Technology and Medical Research and the Institute of Health Studies. Its objective was to prepare a consensus document, based on scientific evidence, defining a series of health care actions addressed to improve clinical care and care organization, encourage a better knowledge between society and people affected from these health problems, and implement vocational training activities for health care professionals.

The resulting document, New model of care for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Catalonia 2006 was supported by professional organizations affected and by the majority of associations of people affected. Its dissemination intends to help primary and specialist care professionals.

In 2006 a progressive implementation plan was designed on the basis of the assessment of the experience acquired. It sets forth health care and organizational actions focused on primary care and coordinated through a network of outreach specialist care.

Another operational strategy is vocational training, which is free, and decentralized in all health regions. These training activities were designed by a pedagogic committee integrated by experts. They include educative contents based on a new model addressed to general practitioners and nurse practitioners, primary care socials workers, specialists in psychiatry and psychology of mental health centers, and other specialists across Catalonia. From 2006 34 training activities were carried out with 695 attendees.

The health care model was implemented through a pilot scheme conducted in 12 basic health areas throughout Catalonia: every health region had at least one team of health professionals especially coordinated to treat fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, in accordance with the protocols that set forth the model approved by the Catalan Ministry of Health. Once the test was assessed, 22 territories were added during 2008. This will cover a total of 800,000 inhabitants.

The Ministry of Health positively assessed the implementation of the new model, and it is intended to reinforce its strengths and tackle its weaknesses. During 2008 a meeting by the monitoring committee was celebrated where scientific societies and patient associations are represented to jointly assess the coverage and quality of the new model’s implementation.


Master Plan for Rheumatic Diseases and the Locomotor System

In order to improve the care provided for rheumatic diseases and the locomotor system and other related diseases, the Ministry of Health has implemented a Master Plan based on health promotion, disease prevention, early diagnosis, adequate treatment and rehabilitation.

The new Master Plan also established a model of health care to meet population needs, in accordance with the principles of equity, efficiency, sustainability and satisfaction of citizens.

The main strategic guidelines of the Master Plan for Rheumatic Diseases and Locomotor System are addressed to treat backache, arthrosis, osteoporosis, chronic arthritis, rheumatisms of soft tissues, and fibromyalgia. Within every strategic line actions carried out to create preventive actions, improve patients’ quality of life, improve the process and care continuity, and reduce medical and surgical variability.