Nursing professionals and affected individuals who have attended the IV National Congress of Patients with Pain, driven by the Official College of Nursing of Madrid (CODEM) and FIBROMA, have demanded more integrated and coordinated healthcare for those living with chronic pain.
The meeting, held at the Gregorio Marañón University General Hospital under the slogan "Nursing professionals and patients: care, listening, and life with chronic pain," has brought together nurses, patients, family members, and other specialists to share experiences and discuss the main challenges in addressing it.
In an informative note, CODEM has recalled that in Spain, more than nine million people live with chronic pain, which represents 25.9% of the adult population, a reality that in many cases limits their autonomy and conditions their daily life in the family, work, and social spheres.
The inaugural event featured the intervention of Mar Rocha, deputy director to the Presidency of CODEM; Ana Panadero, member of the Board of Directors of FIBROMA; Jesús Canora, medical director of the Gregorio Marañón University General Hospital, and Elena Fernández Cano, manager of Care at Termas.
"The pain that a person expresses deserves to be heard, valued, and addressed," Rocha emphasized, who recalled that when attending to a person in pain, nurses have "a fundamental responsibility" and provide "clinical assessment, health education, and continuity of care."
Rocha also highlighted the relevance of collaboration with patient associations, as they provide "knowledge, support, and an essential perspective to improve" the care they offer.
For her part, Ana Panadero insisted that, although "chronic pain is invisible," care "cannot be." "We need more nurses trained in pain, more time to listen, more coordination between care levels, and a real recognition of the role of nursing in addressing chronic pain," she pointed out.
One of the central blocks of the congress has been dedicated to the experience of those living with chronic pain and the impact this situation has on their daily routine. Data collected by FIBROMA indicates that around 65% of affected individuals suffer from disabling chronic pain, with strong repercussions on their independence and quality of life.
During the day it has been emphasized that the care for these patients requires continuous monitoring that allows for the detection of needs, prevention of complications, and provision of resources to manage the limitations that this condition entails.
In this context, it has been highlighted that nurses have an "essential" role in "the assessment of pain, health education, patient follow-up, support for self-care, and the detection of physical, emotional, and social needs."
These aspects have been the focus of the table "The continuity of professional care in chronic pain," moderated by Manuela Montón, ESAPD. CS Legaliza.
Decalogue against chronic pain
Throughout the congress, the "Decalogue against chronic pain" was presented in the form of a conversation between Pedro Soriano, director of the Public Relations and Spokesperson Area of CODEM, and Carmen Ferrer, nurse manager.
The closing of the meeting was led by Alicia Cabo, head of Communication of FIBROMA, and Soriano himself. "This congress was born to give a voice to those who live with pain, and each year we see that this voice reaches further. When patients and nursing professionals sit down to talk as equals, pain stops being invisible and starts to be heard," Cabo pointed out.
"Chronic pain is not seen. And it is felt at work, in the family, in your closest circle. That is why it matters to listen. That is why we organized the IV National Congress of Patients with Pain, a meeting space between nursing professionals and patients that has brought together almost 800 people among in-person attendees and online participants," Soriano concluded.