Improving the Standard of Rheumatology Care in Europe: - PharmaLive.com (press release)
News Desk
(press release), PA - 21 hours ago... experts across Europe,
recommendations for the management of hand osteoarthritis, systemic
lupus erythematosus (SLE) and fibromyalgia have been proposed for ...
Improving the Standard of Rheumatology Care in Europe:
EULAR 2006 CONGRESS OPENS WITH CORE RECOMMENDATIONS ACROSS KEY DISEASE
AREAS
AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands, June 21, 2006-The Annual European Congress
of Rheumatology commenced today with a comprehensive set of
recommendations which aim to clarify treatment options for a range of
debilitating rheumatic conditions. Following a rigorous development
process involving numerous multidisciplinary experts across Europe,
recommendations for the management of hand osteoarthritis, systemic
lupus erythematosus (SLE) and fibromyalgia have been proposed for
endorsement by EULAR (The European League Against Rheumatism), along
with recommendations for conducting clinical trials in SLE and systemic
vasculitis.
Professor Tore Kvien, EULAR president, stated: "The EULAR executive
place great importance on the need to provide recommendations regarding
management strategies for rheumatic diseases in order to encourage the
best standard of care across the whole continent. The processes we
require for endorsement are based on strict criteria and rely on the
best available evidence".
EULAR will consider a range of research initiatives under its
endorsement programme, which is led by the EULAR standing committees
and governed by a set of published standardised operating procedures1.
Topics include management of musculoskeletal disorders, conducting
clinical trials, use of specific tools (e.g. bone densitometry,
ultrasonography) and even classification or diagnostic criteria.
Recommendations already endorsed by EULAR in recent years include
management considerations for knee osteoarthritis, hip osteoarthritis,
ankylosing spondylitis, early arthritis and the management and
diagnosis of gout.
Professor Maxime Dougados, MD, Professor of Rheumatology at the
Universite Rene Descartes, Paris and Chair of the EULAR Standing
Committee on International Clinical Studies Including Therapeutic
Trials, said that the latest recommendations were accepted for
consideration by EULAR for a variety of reasons, but that all were very
relevant issues in daily practice and would be of great value to
European health care professionals and, ultimately, for patients. He
said: "For a disease such as lupus it is evident that many different
physicians are involved in treating these patients and this may
inevitably lead to variety in practice. In other
areas such as fibromyalgia, which has a relatively high prevalence at
4% of the population, the strength of evidence is perhaps not as robust
as it could be. Whether pharmacological or non-pharmacological
intervention is involved, in all of these areas there is a clear need
for reinforcement of best practice, including simple guidance on
effective treatment, which can be easily accessed by busy
professionals".
All current recommendations will be presented at the opening session of
the EULAR scientific programme on Wednesday 21st June in the
State-of-the-Art/Best Practice stream. The EULAR standing committee is
expected to ratify the recommendations by end of June 2006.
Reference
1. Dougados M et al. EULAR standardised operating procedures for the
elaboration, evaluation, dissemination, and implementation of
recommendations endorsed by the EULAR standing committees. Ann Rheum
Dis. 2004 Sep;63(9):1172-6
For further information about this story, or to request an interview
with one of the abstract leads or a EULAR representative, please do not
hesitate to contact the EULAR congress press office on:-
Email: eularpre...@uk.cohnwolfe.com
Jim Baxter - Onsite tel: +44 (0) 7900 605652
Jo Spadaccino - Onsite tel: +44 (0) 7773 271930
Mia Gannedahl - Office tel: +44 (0) 20 7331 2325
Abstract numbers: SP0002, SP0003, SP0004, SP0005
About EULAR
· The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) is the organization
which represents the patient, health professional and scientific
societies of rheumatology of all the European nations.
· The aims of EULAR are to reduce the burden of rheumatic diseases on
the individual and society and to improve the treatment, prevention and
rehabilitation of musculoskeletal diseases. To this end, EULAR fosters
excellence in education and research in the field of rheumatology. It
promotes the translation of research advances into daily care and
fights for the recognition of the needs of people with musculoskeletal
diseases by the governing bodies in Europe.
· Diseases of bones and joints, such as rheumatoid arthritis and
osteoarthritis cause disability in 4 - 5 % of the adult population and
are predicted to rise as people live longer.
· As new treatments emerge and cellular mechanisms are discovered,
the 7th Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Amsterdam (EULAR
2006) brings together more than 10,000 experts - scientists,
clinicians, healthcare workers, pharmaceutical companies and patients -
to share their knowledge in a global endeavour to challenge the pain
and disability caused by musculo-skeletal disorders.
· To find out more information about the activities of EULAR, visit:
www.eular.org.
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