A WESTERN NSW pain specialist with a strong belief in equity of treatment has helped create a flagship website aimed at improving the quality of life of people living with chronic pain across the state.
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The Australia-first website has been built on the latest scientific evidence on how to manage chronic pain and includes practical tools and resources for patients and health professionals.
Dr Ian Thong's work in the field as a Bathurst GP led to his co-chairing a primary care committee that informed the Pain Management Network website, developed by the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI).
Having just completed training at Royal North Shore Hospital, he currently works in a clinic in Orange as a pain specialist with plans to do the same in Bathurst and Lithgow.
"My role in Western NSW is to improve the delivery of pain services to the local community," Dr Thong told the Daily Liberal.
"The reason for this is that rural patients deserve the same care as our city patients.
"By bringing the services to the country these patients no longer have to travel as far, usually at great expense financially, physically and emotionally."
Dr Thong said the new website was designed by health professionals with the input of consumers so that it delivered a product that was user-friendly, helpful and accessible.
"Key features of this website are videos about pain, education, tools to help you self- manage your pain, a directory of resources including pain services and support groups and information for health professionals," he said.
NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner launched the website at the State Library of NSW where she left behind a collection of pain management books in recognition that not everyone had access to online information.
The collection will be made available in 70 other public libraries across NSW.
Mrs Skinner said chronic pain affected one in five Australians, both young and old.
"It reduces our ability to work, to attend school, to undertake hobbies," she said.
"Indeed it impacts on every aspect of daily life."
The minister said improving the management of chronic pain was a key priority for the NSW government.
"In 2012 I was proud to launch the NSW Pain Management Plan and commit $26 million over four years to enhance specialist pain services and expand the number of pain clinics in NSW, most notably in rural areas," she said.
The minister said the new website constituted "another important step".
The ACI and Ministry of Health have arranged with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia for the promotion of improved pain management in community pharmacies with the new website to be advertised on repeat prescription folders in pharmacies across NSW.
To visit the ACI Pain Management Network, go to www.aci.health.nsw.gov.au/chronic-pain.
