Australia: National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC): Development of ME/CFS guidelines

Thanks @Nightsong

Some comments

If a patient has depression or something else, the guideline should refer to the relevant guideline. There is no need to explain how to manage depression in an ME/CFS guideline. What is important is to acknowledge the difficulty of living with the condition, and to encourage health professionals to provide practical support make life easier.

First I've heard of 'quaternary prevention'. I made a similar point when in my response to the NHMRC survey regarding quack treatments. The problem is that many doctors don't realise just how much is poorly evidenced, ineffective and potentially harmful.

Case in point (the poorly evidenced, ineffective and potentially harmful) - exercise interventions. That section is basically a rewording of the HANDI guideline on exercise therapies for CFS. I am constantly amazed that people who should know better don't. Perhaps they don't bother to look at the actual studies and just assume the HANDI Guideline can't be wrong.

 

That is so wrong it's shocking, but sadly not surprising. It has been clearly shown in surveys that GET implemented under the guidance of so called specialist therapists has been just as bad as any other GET. The only appropriate caution is not providing any GET or pacing up programs.