Thursday, April 10, 2008
Psychosocial School and Insurance Companies
The article below is translated from a Dutch review
by Frank Twisk.
~jvr
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ME: the strong ties between the psychosocial
school and insurance companies.
A Conference on "The Evidence-based Approach
of CFS", organized by the Royal Society of
Medicine, will held on April 28, 2008.
Most of the speakers are well-known
representatives of the so-called "psychosocial"
school. Prof. Simon Wessely, the man who
epitomizes this movement, will make an
appearance too.
The often critized patients' organization "Action
for ME" will be speaking "on behalf of the
patients".
Of the medical academics specializing in
ME/CFS - of course - no one has been invited.
Those who suspect that UNUM insurance
and the invited psychosocial specialists
have close ties, will find this confirmed once more
by the conference program.
http://www.rsm.ac.uk/academ/cfs.php
(aim and agenda of conference).
UNUM Provident, one of the largest income
insurance companies, is, and has been, since
the nineties, the main driving force behind the
psychosocial approach mentioned above
(e.g. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Management
Program UNUM, 4th April 1995: "UNUM stands to
lose millions if we do not move quickly to address
this increasing problem" - "ME/CFS Diagnosis:
Neurosis with a new banner" - ".. an effort to
return the patient/claimant back to maximum
functionality with or without symptoms.").
Once upon a time, not even that long ago, such an
overt conflict of interests would have induced
loud protest and strong condemnation.
But times have changed: the ideology of the open
market has medical science in its grip.
The barrier between evidence-based science
and sales talk is fading away.
The pychosocial meeting (sold as an evidence-
based conference) has filled people with ME/CFS
both in the U.K. and the U.S.A. with dismay. They
will hold a peaceful demonstration outdoors.
Dr. Derek Enlander, a strong supporter of a
medical approach to ME/CFS, has written to the
Dean of the Royal Society of Medicine urging him
to invite medical speakers ("I think it is absurd for
the Royal Society of Medicine to promote a
meeting on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis where the
predominant topic is the psychiatric aspect of this
physical disease.", "Please invite clinicians and
physicians to speak at your meeting on the
medical aspects and medical treatment of M.E..",
"After all, you are a medical and not a psychiatric
society".
This of course is not going to happen.
The political and financial interests are far too
powerful.
Frank Twisk
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