The newly formed Advisory Council on Fibromyalgia Education (ACFE) comprised of internationally recognized clinicians and researchers and developed to identify and supply solutions to educational gaps and barriers in the area of fibromyalgia syndrome issued a statement stating that several significant gaps exist in the identification, diagnosis and management of fibromyalgia patients.

“The gaps and barriers identified among healthcare providers include a substantial lack of awareness about the disorder and a lack of confidence in the ability of the physicians to diagnosis it. As a conclusion, misdiagnosis, fragmentation of patient care, and an increased cost of care are plaguing the management of fibromyalgia syndrome,” said I. Jon Russell, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and Director of the University Clinical Research Center. “Each of these barriers contributes to poor patient care and outcomes. Ideally, the management of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome should be individualized, multimodal, multidisciplinary, and should be expected to extend by weeks to months with a continuum of care during that moment,” added Dr. Russell.

The goal of the ACFE is to bring together a multidisciplinary group of national thought leaders in the area of

fibromyalgia syndrome to supply insight into the core issues that cause physicians’ barriers to patient care, and together deliver strategic direction in addressing those barriers. Current members include Misha-Miroslav Backonja, MD, Robert Bennett, MD, Michael Clark, MD, MPH, Daniel Clauw, MD, Don Goldenberg, MD, Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, Kim Dupree Jones RN, PhD, FNP, Lynne Matallana, President of NFA, Bill McCarberg, MD, FABPM, Philip J. Mease, MD, Harvey Moldofsky, MD, FRCPC, I. Jon Russell, MD, PhD, Dennis Turk, PhD, David A. Williams, PhD and Patrick Wood, MD.

The council represents the areas of rheumatology, psychiatry, primary care, neurology and nursing as well as other healthcare groups and thus presents a platform offering insight from multiple perspectives. The council will additionally address needs in other disease areas that have similar clinical features, for example chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic headache, and temporomandibular joint syndrome,

“Having a group of such pre-eminent thought leaders supply such input and direction will allow the development of much needed evidence-based education in the area of fibromyalgia syndrome,” states Seanne Murray, CEO of MJ Consulting Group, who jointly developed the ACFE with the National Fibromyalgia organization (NFA), and Gullapalli and Associates (G&A).

Original post by Mallows