A dedicated Space for Complete Pain Relief

In a move to improve patient care and streamline pain management services, Rimini Hospital has inaugurated a new, state-of-the-art Analgesic therapy Unit. The unit, previously integrated with palliative care services, now occupies the fourth floor of the hospital’s monobloc, a location it has occupied in the past.

Advanced Facilities for Diverse Pain Management Techniques

The newly established unit boasts a comprehensive suite of facilities designed to cater to a wide range of patient needs.These include three consultation rooms for medical and nursing activities, a spacious waiting area accommodating up to 40 individuals, and a dedicated procedure room equipped for minor infiltrative therapies. This room features multifunctional, monitored positions, allowing for the governance of standard treatments like ozone therapy and ultrasound-guided injections.

A notable addition is the unit’s Day Hospital ward, featuring two beds. This allows for the creation of a complete care pathway for patients referred from within the center or from other regional hubs, facilitating interventions such as radiofrequency modulation or lesioning techniques.

A Networked Approach to Pain Therapy

Aligned with the guidelines established by the State-Regions Conference in 2020, the AUSL Romagna has formalized a corporate pain therapy network. This network operates on a hub-and-spoke model, with the Analgesic Therapy Operating Unit of Ravenna Hospital serving as the primary hub due to its expertise in complex procedures. The Rimini unit functions as a spoke within this network, ensuring accessible pain management services for the local population.

General practitioners and other hospital specialists, such as orthopedists and neurologists, play a crucial role in this network. They are frequently enough the first point of contact for patients experiencing persistent pain.The work in synergy among the professionals of the pain therapy network is essential to ensure the patient the best assistance in the most appropriate setting and the continuity of care, emphasizes Massimo In Love, UOC Director of Analgesic Therapy Romagna.

Hub and Spoke model: Enhancing Regional Pain Management

The regional framework includes two hub centers (one in Parma and another within AUSL Romagna) serving approximately 2.5 million residents each, alongside 15 spoke centers, each catering to around 300,000 individuals. The hub centers provide support to the spoke centers, centralizing complex invasive procedures like neurolesion and neuromodulation in accordance with clinical competence and appropriateness principles.

The Burden of chronic Pain: A National Outlook

Chronic pain is a widespread issue, affecting millions and frequently enough inadequately addressed by healthcare systems. In Italy, approximately 21.7% of the population, or about 13 million people, suffer from chronic pain.This condition carries a significant economic burden,with indirect annual costs of €4,556 per patient due to work absences and direct costs of €1,400 borne by the National Health Service. The total annual cost is estimated at €36.4 billion, representing 2.3% of Italy’s GDP.

Chronic pain affects approximately 13 million people in Italy, costing the nation an estimated €36.4 billion annually.

Restoring Quality of Life Through Effective Pain Management

The primary objective of pain therapy is to provide comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for individuals experiencing pain, regardless of its underlying cause. By reducing disability and promoting reintegration into social and professional life, pain therapy aims to improve the overall quality of life for patients suffering from chronic pain.