Epidemiology and treatment of pain in Italy: part II

Pain relief is a branch of Medicine that only recently has developed, its institutional standardization levels and its process standards have not yet been identified. Pain therapy was first introduced by Bonica in 1951, but is still disregarded in many cases, despite the consciousness that the lack of pain control causes evident damage and has a significant effect on well-being perception. The primary need for not suffering from unnecessary pain is undervalued, as a result of a multiplicity of factors. In order to improve this situation, the “Pain-Free Hospital” (PFH) program was instituted, with the specific aims of increasing the awareness of pain incidence, directing the attention of general population and caregivers to the “pain issue” and making the necessary treatments available. According to the agreement drawn up by the Governmental-Regional Conference in 2001, the PFH program was instituted in Italy and, in conformity with their own Regional health care strategy, some Italian Regions planned the foundation of a Network of Pain Therapy Centres. Numerous laws have been introduced for the development of pain therapy and Pain Therapy centres in Italy, at both national and regional level. A survey made in 2001 showed that 232 centres of Pain Therapy and Palliative Care, 16 Palliative Care centres and 76 Pain Therapy centres were active in Italy. A network of Italian registers, monitoring the activity of pain care professionals, is developing in order to guarantee quality and safety of pain therapies.