| ICA Joins with Five Non-Profits to Help Millions of Patients Suffering from Chronic Conditions
In an effort to help millions of Americans suffering from multiple chronic medical conditions, the ICA and five other independent nonprofit organizations have come together to form the Overlapping Conditions Alliance. The new Alliance will promote research into the underlying connection(s) between coexisting conditions. As part of this effort, the Alliance has launched an informational web site - www.OverlappingConditions.org.
Millions of Americans suffer from one or more of these chronic disorders: chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJ) and vulvodynia. Health care providers receive limited training on these conditions, leading to frequent misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment for millions of patients.
 Studies indicate these conditions often overlap. Much more research is needed to understand the connection(s) and develop more effective treatments. All of these conditions cause enormous physical and emotional distress for sufferers and their families. In addition, they cost the US billions of dollars each year in medical costs and lost productivity.
The mission of the Overlapping Conditions Alliance is to change this situation by advancing the scientific, medical, and policy needs of individuals afflicted with multiple chronic conditions. The Alliance is composed of six independent nonprofit patient advocacy organizations: the Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Association of America, Endometriosis Association, Interstitial Cystitis Association, International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, National Vulvodynia Association, and The TMJ Association.
Posted March 30, 2009 |
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