06 - PRIORITIZING PAIN: AN ANALYSIS OF THE POLICY ENVIRONMENT AFFECTING PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC PAIN ACROSS EUROPE

Background: There are 100 million people with chronic pain in Europe, but despite the large and increasing burden it has not received sufficient policy attention. To date there has been little research to identify critical areas of need in the policy environment, or what actions are required to support treatment and care for patients.

Methods: A systematic literature review across 7 European countries was undertaken to populate a comprehensive framework comparing national government policies and non-governmental initiatives in chronic pain across four policy areas: awareness and recognition, coordination and diagnosis, access to treatment and ongoing support.

Results: Chronic pain is not prioritized through coordinated national plans, although targeted policies and programs exist. Patient advocacy groups are key drivers for awareness-related policy change and implementation, however these often receive limited government support. While clinical guidelines on diagnosis, treatment and management have been established, application is often limited, and many countries report delays in diagnosis and suboptimal pain management. There are no provisions in value assessment and reimbursement processes applied to specialized pain treatments, and dedicated centres supporting patients’ long-term care varies across regions and countries.

Conclusions: Given the challenges facing patients, sharing best practices is vital. Governments should prioritize chronic pain; developing a clear policy agenda to address the lack of awareness amongst patients, healthcare professionals and payers. Policy should ensure patients play an important role in the assessment of treatments and that there are appropriate provisions in value assessment methodology in order to ensure appropriate access to treatment and care.