Trial By Error: Kaiser Permanente Changes Course

@dave30th quoting the doctor in the article:

So there is this group of patients that we now understand has an objective illness that is not psychiatric—whether it’s metabolic, neurological, or whatever. And what fascinates me is that this condition has been so mismanaged throughout medicine. What’s the sociology behind this? How did we remain ignorant for so long? We have made well-meaning recommendations that were harmful. I can say that—that’s the truth. There is no evidence that this is a primary psychiatric illness, and it’s not related to deconditioning at all. And so the treatments we have been advising aren’t the appropriate treatments.​

Very impressive to see someone in a senior position in an organisation making an admission like that, and putting patients first.

Great job, @Webdog and @dave30th
 
Peter Trewhitt said:
Let's hope other health insurers pay attention to this, and that at least the financial incentive the PACE appologists have from advising the insurance industry is removed.
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Other insurers have no real reason to pay attention, we will have to make them or hope for luck and very few might or wait for a mainstream treatment before they will take notice. :cry:
 
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Living in UK, trying to get my head round who & what are Kaiser Permannete, so looked on Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser_Permanente

Kaiser Permanente (/ˈkaɪzər pɜːrməˈnɛnteɪ/; KP) is an American integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States.
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the largest managed care organization in the United States....As of October 2017, Kaiser Permanente had 11.7 million health plan members, 208,975 employees, 21,275 physicians, 54,072 nurses, 39 medical centers, and 720 medical facilities
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Thank you so very much, @Webdog! You have truly inspired, and have paved the way for care for many with ME.

Thank you @dave30th for your excellent coverage of this, and as always.

This change adds light and hope!

I hope it spreads. We can if able, pass along news of this to others: individuals, and institutions.

Thank you so much again @Webdog! And, I hope this work has not taken a toll on your health. Take care.
 
Jonathan Edwards said:
This whole section rings in my head as exactly what I realised when first introduced to ME by IiME. The first paragraph is as important as the second I think.


The universe of patients that complain of fatigue is large. When you see them, you look for hypothyroidism, you look for mononucleosis, and so on, and when you don’t find anything, you do find a lot of people with a mental health condition, such as depression. But the percentage of people in that universe that actually have ME/CFS is small. People with ME/CFS are different though, and would say, ‘If I do something, I’m just wiped out.’

So there is this group of patients that we now understand has an objective illness that is not psychiatric—whether it’s metabolic, neurological, or whatever. And what fascinates me is that this condition has been so mismanaged throughout medicine. What’s the sociology behind this? How did we remain ignorant for so long? We have made well-meaning recommendations that were harmful. I can say that—that’s the truth. There is no evidence that this is a primary psychiatric illness, and it’s not related to deconditioning at all. And so the treatments we have been advising aren’t the appropriate treatments.
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I am truly delighted - and grateful- by the Kaiser anouncement, but the knowledge about true ME is not new, it has been there, at least, since I got ill in early 1980s. That cannot be forgotten.
 
Jonathan Edwards said:

"The universe of patients that complain of fatigue is large. When you see them, you look for hypothyroidism, you look for mononucleosis, and so on, and when you don’t find anything, you do find a lot of people with a mental health condition, such as depression. But the percentage of people in that universe that actually have ME/CFS is small. People with ME/CFS are different though, and would say, ‘If I do something, I’m just wiped out.’ "
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This is the section that jumped out at me also. It is why the BPS people, with their short-sighted science, have never been able (nor wanted) to see beyond the cohort of patients who fit their own expectations.
 
Nasim Marie Jafry said:
I am truly delighted - and grateful- by the Kaiser anouncement, but the knowledge about true ME is not new, it has been there, at least, since I got ill in early 1980s. That cannot be forgotten.
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Dr. Olson is very aware I became ill following a viral infection more than 40 years ago.

My focus is on trying to improve ME/CFS diagnosis, care and support to reduce patient suffering right now.

But like you, I don't want the history of this illness forgotten either.
 
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