Letter to Valvira - Finland's National Supervisory Authority for Health and Welfare - CBT and GET

[Jo Best]

INVEST IN ME RESEARCH EXPRESSES CONCERN REGARDING USE OF CBT AND GET http://www.investinme.org/IIME-Newslet-1709-02.shtml

Valvira is Finland's National Supervisory Authority for Health and Welfare.

Recently news came that the organisation was considering wide use of CBT and GET for ME patients [1].

Valvira states that there are no diagnostic or treatment guidelines for CFS (ME) in Finland and these are needed so that patients' own GP has a care pathway to refer to.

Valvira seems to think that there is international evidence for the most effective treatment being CBT and GET and Finnish patients should have access to these therapies also.

This disturbing and potentially damaging (for patients) action was thought necessary to be challenged.

Invest in ME Research also considered it relevant to make Valvira aware of current evidence and research.

Invest in ME Research has also extended invitations to our next Colloquium and Conference.

We have sent the following letter.

We have the means to translate this into Finnish if necessary but, for now, have sent a letter in English.

References
1/ http://www.iltalehti.fi/kotimaa/201709042200370930_u0.shtml

http://www.valvira.fi/-/kroonisen-vasymysoireyhtyman-hoidossa-tarvitaan-toimivaa-hoitopolkua

2/ https://www.aamulehti.fi/uutiset/la...-vaaransivat-potilasturvallisuutta-200372136/

Source: http://www.investinme.org/IIME-Newslet-1709-02.shtml

 

[Jo Best]

Invest in ME Research is a founder member of the European ME Alliance ( http://www.euro-me.org).

The Finnish member organisation of the European ME Alliance is Suomen CFS-Yhdistys - Finlands CFS-förbund (http://www.euro-me.org/Finland CFS-Yhdistys.htm - their website - http://cfsmery.fi/)

@Mike Harley asked the Finnish CFS Association what it was like to live with ME there and what treatments were available. Here’s an edited summary of what he found out: http://www.mikeseumarathons.eu/finland.html


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[alex3619]

Excellent!!! (The response by IiME of course.)

 

[Jo Best]

After receiving no reply, IiME Research followed up and Valvira has now removed from its website the statement to the effect that, "Treatments that have some evidence of efficacy (graded exercise therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy) should be made available in the whole country." A small but important change.

Congratulations Finland on 100 year independence anniversary today

 

[Hikaru]

I'm really hoping that the desire to develop guidelines will finally get Kela to treat it as an illness.