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Does anyone know if there is such evidence?"Research shows that early intervention by specialist teams will frequently prevent the illness becoming severe."
-----Occupation (homemakers and students were over-represented in the severe category, while teachers and academics were under-represented)
Problems with social security (problems increased the risk of a patient being subsequently severe)
Interval between falling ill and diagnosis (a larger interval increased the risk of a patient being subsequently severe)
Perceived value of initial treatment
Relationship with GP before and after Diagnosis
Involvement of a psychiatrist in initial Treatment (involvement of a psychiatrist increased the risk of a patient being subsequently severe)
Does anyone know if there is such evidence?
I think there has been little research looking at this issue.
One study was funded by the (UK) ME Association: Pheby D, Saffron L. Risk factors for severe ME/CFS. Biology and Medicine. 2009;1(4):5074 http://biolmedonline.com/Articles/vol1_4_50-74.pdf .
It found the following six independent variables:
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Quite a few services involve psychiatrists. Based on this research, one might conclude that attending such services would increase the risk of somebody ending up severely affected.
"Research shows that early intervention by specialist teams will frequently prevent the illness becoming severe."
I personally think that is one of those myths out there. I dont think ive ever seen a study which shows that. I do know the CDC thou supports that quote.
Does anyone know if there is such evidence?
I think there has been little research looking at this issue.
I think early diagnosis can help (possibly/probably for the reason you quoted and related factors). And indeed the study I quoted found that. I personally wish I was diagnosed earlier - I believe the chances of me becoming severe would have been reduced (I was relatively high functioning for at least 4 years and one could probably say 5 years).Hi Dolphin, so far as I am aware the claim that early intervention helps is an unproven hypothesis. It does have good grounds imo because if a patient can learn that rest (pacing) and diet and avoiding stress can prevent worsening of their condition, it might not progress. However, this is not a cure or anything like it, and is only an hypothesis at this point. Bye, Alex
in calling for more of the services that are currently available in the UK to be expanded. Those are basically rehab services.Research shows that early intervention by specialist teams will frequently prevent the illness becoming severe
looks particularly questionable.Research shows that early intervention by specialist teams will frequently prevent the illness becoming severe
From my personal experience if a specialist had taught me how to pace properly I think it may have reduced my chances of becoming so severe. Of course the breach of contract by my insurance company (or what this study calls "Problems with social security") would have still been there so I may have become this severe even with the best specialist. Then again if money were not a problem during the early milder stages I could have gone to see a specialist.I personally think that is one of those myths out there. I dont think ive ever seen a study which shows that. I do know the CDC thou supports that quote.
From my personal experience if a specialist had taught me how to pace properly I think it may have reduced my chances of becoming so severe
Yes, that was my impression also/one thought that did occur. That's how that Collin et al paper was sold/spun - the illness is costing money because we don't have enough specialist services, ignoring the fact that the "specialist services" may or may not reduce much of these costs (or could even potentially increase them).My impression was that the speech tied in with Esther Crawley's recent paper, without realising how tied to PACE it was.
edit: this is based on having half read the speech when I was knackered last night, and forgotten most of it since, so may be best to ignore me.
But there's no chance of getting hepapressin in the UK clinic system (and I'm fairly sure there is no research published showing that finding for hepapressin). Some of the UK ME charities are into the clinics to various degrees; and then of course the CBT/GET crowd are big into them. So somewhere along the way, I think she has been misinformed. She has said some positive statements about the clinics/CBT in the past.Dr. Derek Enlander believes that his hepapressin injection protocol works much better if started as soon as possible from onset of the illness. This is based on his experience of hundreds of patients. By the time I got to him, I was already so sick for a while that my chances were severely impaired.
I don't know if there are scientific studies out there but she didn't completely misquote either.