Lazio Region – Health care new network for pain therapy starts


Latium Region – Health care, new network for pain therapy begins

Two reference centers (Hub) and twenty-one outpatient clinics (Spoke) evenly distributed throughout the region. This is the functional articulation of the new regional network for pain therapy envisaged by the decree signed yesterday by President Nicola Zingaretti. The document reorganizes the network of services and skills that are part of the care network.

Hubs have been identified at Policlinico Umberto I and Policlinico Tor Vergata, in compliance with the requirement of one center for every 2.500.000 population. Umberto I will be a reference point for 11 centers: 6 in the City of Rome (S. Giovanni Addolorata, Nuovo Regina Margherita, S. Camillo, Grassi di Ostia, Fiumicino, S. Philip Neri and S. Andrea) and 4 in the provinces: hospital in Civitavecchia, Belcolle in Viterbo, De Lellis in Rieti, Goretti in Latina and the outpatient clinic of the Gaeta Territorial District.

Tor Vergata instead will be a point of support for 4 Roman centers: that of Pertini, the S. Eugene, of the Integrated Presidium S. Caterina della Rosa and Ifo; 6 in the province: hospitals in Colleferro, Tivoli, Anzio-Nettuno, Genzano Frosinone and Sora.

The centers at Pertini Hospital in Rome, Grassi Hospital in Ostia, San Paolo Hospital in Civitavecchia, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital in Latina, Santissima Trinità Hospital in Sora and F. Spaziani of Frosinone, will have to be more qualified both in structural and organizational terms in order to ensure a care response to the territorial areas of competence. Given their characteristics and the experience accumulated over the years, the centers of St. John-Addolorata and the A.O. Sant’Andrea are recognized as network reference centers for the neuromodulation technique, IRCCS I.F.O. and the S. Filippo Neri for invasive techniques on cancer patients and the S. Caterina della Rosa and the A.O. St. Camillus for invasive techniques on nononcologic patients. The Pain Therapy Network makes use of a Regional Coordination Structure, established at the Health Directorate.

According to a recent research conducted in Europe, Italy ranks first with a prevalence of chronic pain patients of 26 percent, after Norway (30 percent) and Poland (27 percent).

“The goal is to ensure all people with oncological diseases and all patients with a chronic pain condition, continuity of care at all stages of the disease – explains the president of the Lazio Region, Nicola Zingaretti – in this path we will soon involve general practitioners to define the paths that ensure the taking in charge. The network is articulated in such a way as to guarantee access to care in an identical manner in all regional areas and in facilities capable of providing appropriate services. This is also a new piece of the health care we are building in Lazio: a health care of quality and closer to the real needs of citizens.”.