Welcome Message from the Chairman of the Scientific Committee

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Prague is a symbolic location for the 4th Congress of EFIC as it lies at a geographical, cultural and historical crossroads.

The organisation of this meeting in the centre of Europe at the start of a new century provides an opportunity to boost our field of interest. Since basic and clinical researches are the two limbs in the study of pain, attempts have been made to organise sessions with people involved in both basic research and the clinic. The goal was not to organise parallel but largely independent meetings. Scientists can do so in a better way at neuroscience meetings; acute pain is broadly covered in meetings of anaesthesiologists; chronic pain may be tackled at meetings of either rheumatologists or neurologists; and both types of research are considered by neurosurgeons, psychologists and psychiatrists during their own gatherings. Interactivity at a high scientific level between conference registrants should be a prelude to collaborative work between European clinicians and scientists.

The Congress will feature plenary sessions, topical seminars and discussion groups. The Scientific Programme Committee is organising multidisciplinary sessions to cover most aspects of pain research and pain therapy.

A series of three round-tables on "Pain as a public health priority in Europe: how could we converge?" will be scheduled in the mornings, following the main lectures. The purpose of these special topical seminars will be to identify disparities and areas of convergence between European countries. Europe is multiform. The prerequisite to any progress in building fruitful co-operation is to know with a reasonable degree of precision, what we share and what distinguishes us. Thus, an essential aim will be to identify some common attitudes and some salient lines. Individuals and communities can converge to help politicians. Whether we are clinicians or basic research workers, we all are scientists, who first make inventories and statements.
Examples of what we share include: - Patients: they are the same from the medical point of view (Diseases are identical). - The basis of medical and fundamental knowledge. - A willingness to promote pain as a major health problem. - A willingness to improve the quality of care and treatment.
On the other hand we may differ in: - Education of medical staff. - Information given to the patient. - Authority, supervision, administration and management. - Rules and regulations. - Organisation of healthcare. - Accessibility to healthcare. - Health services (e.g. agreement to bear medical costs, refunding of medical expenses...). - Basis of organisation of Health services (e.g. country, region, firms).

Europe is rich in experience and ideas, but most of these have not spread out from their country of origin. We must make them known to each other. The format of a round-table is a topical seminar led by a chairman and two co-chairmen, in which interventions by other speakers are encouraged. In this regard, the SPC will ask all chapters to send representatives to these sessions.

A new mode of activity will be introduced at the 4th European Congress of Pain. The SPC intends that discussion within a group of European pain researchers and clinicians, all with a different backgrounds and traditions should receive at least the same attention as the scientific presentations in the main lectures and topical seminars.

People from many European countries meet at European congresses in the hope not only of taking home information about recent research and guidelines, but also of making personal contacts and exchanging experiences. This is where the discussion groups will come into place. They all will start with an "if you were..." question. Two or three experts will be identified at each session, but not with typical pro- and contra-roles, without real "power", but rather as moderators or referees. The audience should take over the experts' role, being encouraged by a very informal atmosphere to make their own comments, to speak in a foreign language (the organiser will help), to learn about different opinions, and to make friends with colleagues from other European countries.

As in the past, we will strive to maintain the high standard of the Scientific Programme and we look forward to your participation in the 4th Congress of EFIC.

Dr. Daniel Le Bars
Chairman: International Scientific Committee