In the summer edition of the International Lymphoedema Framework NEWSLETTER arrived yesterday in emails of members, the ILF board speaks, and very flattering, about ITALF.
We thought to participateto the fact copying the text in a post for every ITALF member that do not have direct access to that communication channel. Recall that after some time the dell’ILF Newsletter are then published in the news page.
Italian Lymphedema Framework (ITALF)
It has been little over a year since its inception (February 2015) but this new framework has been very busy. Just a sample of their activities and accomplishments are listed below:
2015 – In its first year the ITALF developed regional sections, and established important relationships with other scientific societies, patient and voluntary associations and companies interested in the lymphological sector. Today membership stands at more than 200 people and at least 20 stakeholder groups. They also launched their website (both Italian and English), delivered joint programming sessions for national congresses (Italian Society of Phlebolymphology and Italian College of Phlebology) and held their own first national ITALF Congress (December 2015). Advocacy efforts included a letter to the Italian Ministry of Health for assistance to all patients of lymphatic diseases and a letter to the Attorney for legal notice to institutional bodies.
2016 – participation in LIMPRINT started (July) with more than 100 clinical cases recorded in the first 15 days. They delivered a joint session at the UIP Congress (April) and prepared informational material and training courses. The second national Congress is scheduled for November.
2017 – The ITALF is very proud to co-host the next ILF conference in Italy next year.
ITALF President Sandro Michelini shares these two very important messages:
“1) The Italian Ministry of Health (with our close co-operation) has issued the 12 July 2016 Guidelines on Lymphedema and Lipedema. The primary lymphedemas joined the group of ‘rare diseases’. Every Italian Region must now guarantee assistance both of primary and secondary forms of lymphoedema, in different care settings (up to hospitalization for more complex cases). The flat knitted compression garments are finally reimbursed by the public health system for both primary and secondary lymphedema patients. We are very happy for that development.
2) The ITALF work today is geared to increasing knowledge about the disease towards the primary care physician and to specialists. Once lymphedema was not known specifically. Today, thanks to the widespread dissemination of ‘specific culture’, there is also an abuse of the term and it happens more and more often, for example, that the same cardiologists for heart failure edema mistakenly should address patients to physical therapy cycles for lymphedema with consequent risk of deterioration of the clinical features. For this, having solved many practical problems of information and assistance to patients, we are now oriented towards general and other health care professionals because they can diagnosis and treat the problem better. Thank you for all you do as ILF. We are proud to bring our contribution/example”.