Donini: “After the pandemic, the need to invest, train and communicate is even stronger”
In 2022 in the region over 1,500 admissions to hospital wards for analgesic therapies, 23,000 first visits, 7,000 patients involved in check-ups and 46,000 pain treatment services. Numerous initiatives organized by health agencies and hospitals: training for staff and volunteers, information for the population on available treatments and therapies
May 24, 2023 – When treatment cannot lead to healing, it can still make the last days of life worth living.
The National Relief Daywhich this year falls on 28 maggio 2023is an event organized by the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces together with the Ministry of Health and the National Foundation Gigi Ghirotti per promote and bear witness to the culture of relief from physical and moral suffering in favor of all those who have reached the last stage of life. Not only them: in fact, over the years the day has broadened its horizons by embracing almost all existential or disease conditions characterized by chronic pain.
Thanks also to the important goal represented by the law 38 of 2010, today it is possible to inform the public opinion about cure palliative and on pain therapies available, and raise awareness ofhumanization of care needed for these routes. These are therapies that guarantee the protection of the dignity of every person, so that everyone can be well assisted and accompanied. Furthermore, it is now possible to respect the free and conscious choices of patients on their paths of illness and death thanks to Advance Processing Provisions (DAT). In anticipation of a possible future incapacity to self-determination, today every adult person capable of understanding and wanting can express his consent or refusal with respect to diagnostic tests, therapeutic choices, individual health treatments.
“The treatment of pain is not only an ethical duty – comments the Councilor for Health Policies Raffaele Donini – but the example of good clinical practice, since pain is a real disease within a disease that heavily affects people’s lives with negative effects also on the psychological, emotional and relational spheres. For us, the need to invest and commit ourselves to training and communication is all the stronger the more, in times of pandemic, we have suffered the temporary closure of some centres”.
The 2022 data in Emilia-Romagna
In 2022 they have been over 1,500 hospitalizations in hospital departments dedicated to pain therapy in public facilities in Emilia-Romagna which also provide consultancy services for the treatment of acute pain in other hospital departments. The public outpatient clinics in the area last year performed over 23,000 bonus visit and more than 7.000 patients performed control visits; to these add up approx 46,000 performances for the treatment of pain. Regionally are available of 312 beds in hospices and 45 team for home palliative care.
Initiatives for the day of relief
The Coordination of the Pain Therapy network which aims to treat the patient as close to home as possible with a multidisciplinary approach.
The Region has been promoting the project since 2001 Pain free hospital, to change the attitudes of health professionals and citizens towards pain. Nonetheless, about 70% of citizens do not know the Law 38 and 40% are not aware of the treatments that can be implemented, even if almost all pain syndromes are treatable. In this sense they are numerous initiatives that they have been organized from Piacenza to Rimini throughout the month of May by the health authorities and hospitals of the Emilia-Romagna Region, yet others are planned between the last days of May and the beginning of June, both to train staff and volunteers, and to inform citizens of the news on these issues and make them aware of the possibilities offered.
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