In the ZDFzoom broadcast of May 20, 2015, Dr. Müller-Schwefe, President of the German Society for Pain Medicine, once again put his finger on the sore spot and highlighted the inadequate care of patients with chronic pain, the overload of the doctors caring for them, the lack of needs planning and ensuring pain medicine care.

The German public broadcaster ZDF has addressed this issue in a comprehensive documentary. The following press release was published by ZDF:

23 million Germans suffer from chronic pain. Patients often cannot find specialists or have to wait a long time for appointments. The problem of insufficient care has been known for years. Of the approximately 5,000 doctors with advanced training in "Special Pain Therapy," only 1,000 practice in private practice. Some experts have long been calling for the introduction of a specialist qualification in pain medicine.

Stefan Gosch, 51, from North Frisia, lives with constant pain and suffers from chronic pain syndrome. Thirty years ago, he had a serious motorcycle accident, which led to 25 operations. He can only walk again thanks to modern knee replacements. After a ten-year search, he finally found a pain specialist in Husum who could help him and adjust his medication to make the pain bearable. However, his doctor has now closed his practice and moved to Norway, saying he could no longer practice pain medicine effectively. One of the reasons, he says, is the inadequate reimbursement.

The German Association of Physicians and Psychotherapists in Pain and Palliative Medicine has just published figures showing that of the 23 million pain patients in Germany, around 2.8 million suffer from severe chronic pain. And only one in eight is treated by a pain specialist. At the 2014 German Medical Assembly, it was determined that those affected need an average of two years from the onset of their chronic pain condition to receive a correct diagnosis, and even four years to receive an adequate treatment approach. Pain specialists repeatedly appeal to the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, the German Medical Association, and the Federal Ministry of Health to address this under-provision of care, for example, by introducing needs-based planning. However, those responsible are passing the buck.

Experts estimate that people with chronic pain wait an average of four years for the right treatment.

(Source: ZDF)

Click here to watch the video:

http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek#/beitrag/video/2405276/ZDFzoom:-Das-Leiden-der-Schmerzkranken

Click here to go to the ZDF website:

http://www.zdf.de/zdfzoom/zdfzoom-das-leiden-der-schmerzkranken-38440358.html