Journal of IiMER Volume 13 Issue 1 Invest in ME Research Denmark - Ærlighed varer længst (HONESTY LASTS LONGEST) DANISH PARLIAMENT SEPARATES ME G93.3 FROM FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS Following excellent work by European ME AllianceDenmark member Dansk ME Foreningen, and work and input by those such as European ME Clinicians Council member Dr Jesper Mehlsen, there is now unified support in the Danish parliament for separating ME G93.3 from Functional Disorders and acknowledgment that the existing treatment of ME patients is inadequate and stigmatising. Specialist services are needed and the Department of Health needs to update its guidance regarding ME. Voting on the adoption of this proposal took place on Thursday 14th March. The Danish parliament voted unanimously for the separation of ME WHO ICD-10 G93.3 from Functional Disorders and called for the Department of Health documentation to be amended to reflect this. This discussion in the Danish parliament on classifying ME as a somatic and not as a functional disease is good progress. It was based on the case of a 29-year-old woman who has been lying in bed in a dark room since 2015, being taken care of by her parents without any help from the Danish healthcare system. Both the Danish ME organisation and Dr Mehlsen had been in contact with a number of politicians on both sides of the aisle and the results are positive. The Danish parliament voted unanimously in favour of ME as a somatic disease to be removed from the centres of functional diseases. That will be a great relief for the family concerned, for physicians, and for the Danish ME community. The result should help Finland too, as a team at Duodecim (Finland's largest scientific association) has been formed to look at Finnish guidelines and there was a proposal to adopt the previous Danish position. That cannot happen now and the Finnish authorities must change course accordingly. Invest in ME Research (Charity Nr. 1153730) investinme.org Page 14 of 52 In fact, the Finnish be improved for patien Duodecim will ne recent Swedish r says there is not to formulate adeq guidelines/propo One of the statem Swedish working guidelines was the f " Considering the situation as regard it is crucial that the interventions off patient diagnosed w ME/CFS or similar must be individu for the patient in q and evaluated. This patient grou need of care measures alleviate sympto improve quality o For the individual p different evidenc interventions can offered on the basis the symptoms presented in the patient in questio example, measur pain or sleep disturbances. The care provider mu be perceptive and take all aspects o the patient’s medical problem and healthcare needs into account."
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