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URV

Algos research group in pain

We are a group of professionals linked, most of all, to the Rovira i Virgili University interested in the study and treatment of pain and our goal is to help improve the quality of life of those who suffer. It is with these people and their relatives, also their friends and colleagues, with whom we have a firm commitment.

In recent years progress in controlling pain has been formidable, in fact unthinkable it has not been too long. Even so, despite the efficacy of available treatments, it is true that many people continue to experience pain recurrently; a pain that considerably interferes with his life and that often makes them feel miserable.

It is with these people and their relatives, also their friends and colleagues, with whom we have a firm commitment: help them improve their quality of life. We are one of those who believe firmly in that well-known saying of 'more worth to prevent than to cure'. And so much of our time and resources are aimed at developing treatments that prevent chronic pain and disability. We know that preventing pain is not possible, in some cases not desirable (we must not forget that pain is often an alarm sign, indicative that something does not work). And although pain may sometimes be inevitable, suffering and disability are optional, these can be prevented.

AWARDS RECEIVED

2015

  • Honourable Mention in the Pain Research Award 2014 for Painometer. The Grünenthal Foundation, along with the Extraordinary Chair of Pain of the Salamanca University, has given the 1st Honourable Mention of the Pain Research Award 2014 to the group ALGOS for the study Development and testing of Painometer: a smartphone application to assess pain intensity. You can read the full text here.

2014

  • URV grant for the valuation of knowledge 2014 (R2B2014) for WellTech. As part of the strategic plan for RDI of the governance programme (for knowledge and technologies developed by the URV), the URV awarded ALGOS a grant of €11,000 to launch WellTech, a platform of psychological treatments and healthy lifestyle plans through smartphones. Further information at the following link (news in catalan).
  • Grant from the URV Board of Trustees for the best entrepreneurial idea for WellTech. The URV Board of Trustees has awarded ALGOS a grant of €4,000 for the best entrepreneurial idea for creating WellTech, a platform of psychological treatments and healthy lifestyle plans through smartphones. Further information at the following link (news in catalan).
  • The Fundolor Prize for research careers in the field of pain. Dr. Jordi Miró, director of ALGOS, was awarded the Fundolor Prize 2014 for his research in the field of pain, in particular for his work on child pain. It is one of the most important individual distinctions in Spain. Further information at the following link (news in spanish).
  • ICREA Acadèmia Prize 2013 for research excellence. the Catalan Government awarded the ICREA Acadèmia prizes 2013, one of which was given to Dr Jordi Miró, director of ALGOS. The prize recognises the research carried out by the teaching staff of public universities. Further information at the following link (news in catalan).
  • IMPULSA Young Talent Award 2014 for Fibroline. The Forum IMPULSA of the Prince of Girona Foundation awarded the IMPULSA Young Talent Award 2014 to the group ALGOS for the application Fibroline, an app for managing fibromyalgia and generalised chronic pain. Further information at the following link (news in catalan).
  • Honourable Mention in the 8th National Fibromyalgia Prize 2012 FF-SER for Fibroline. The Foundation for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has given the 1st Honourable Mention of the 8th National Fibromyalgia Prize 2012 FF-SER to the group ALGOS for the application Fibroline. Further information at the following link (news in spanish).

2013

  • RDI Prize of the 4th Girona Symposium on IT and Health for Painometer v2. The Scientific Assessment Committee of the 4th Girona Symposium on IT and Health awarded one of the five prizes to innovative projects in the field of IT and patient health to the application Painometer v2, created by ALGOS. Further information at the following link (news in catalan).

International Pediatric Pain Conferences

One of the main objectives of ALGOS is to improve the quality of life of children and adolescents who have chronic pain, as well as that of their parents and caregivers. Much of our work is directed towards this objective, which is why in 2007 we decided to organize some sessions devoted to the study and treatment of pediatric pain: first, to present this problem to a broad public ; and second, to facilitate a space where different professionals and researchers in the sector could share ideas and collaborate, in order to improve the quality of life of these children and adolescents.

At the end of 2013, the ALGOS group organized the fourth edition of the International Pediatric Pain Conferences.

In general terms, it can be pointed out that a significant proportion of the child population experiences chronic pain problems. However, chronic pain in children does not receive the attention it deserves; The World Health Organization recognizes that pediatric pain is not being treated properly, warning of the lack of protocols specifically developed for this population and calls for more determined action by politicians and specialists to deal with it.

The lack of attention to the problems of pain in children in Spain is reflected in the fact that while we count on a good number of units to attend to the cases of chronic pain in adults, we do not have units of importance and similar characteristics for Treat cases of chronic childhood pain. And something similar could be said of most countries in our environment.

The objective of the IV International Conferences was to bring the reality of problems in the evaluation and treatment of pain in children and adolescents, present the progress recorded in recent years, and show the resources available to address these problems.

In the study and treatment of pediatric pain, different professionals and disciplines converge. Since the first edition, these conferences have been characterized to promote professional collaboration and favor interdisciplinarity. To a large extent, this approach reflects an underlying idea of the organization of these Conferences, that is, that we can do more and better things together than in isolation. And, from there, the theme of the Conference: various perspectives, the same objective. In short, it is about promoting the study and treatment of childhood pain to help improve the quality of life of all those involved, of the children themselves, also of their families.

As in previous occasions, the 4th International Pediatric Pain Conferences was organized by ALGOS (multidisciplinary group of pain research), although we also have the collaboration of other groups, researchers and entities interested. We hope this new edition will continue to enjoy the interest of clinicians and researchers.

Interviews

Dr. Allan G. Finley

IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax (Canada)

Dr. MP Jensen

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (USA)

Dr. Joel Katz

Faculty of Health, York University, York (Canada)

Dr. Christopher Eccleston

Centre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Bath (United Kingdom)

Dra. Lonnie Zeltzer

School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (USA)

Dr. Ricardo Carbajal

Hôpital Armad Trosseau, Paris (France)

Dr. Jordi Moya

Hospital General Mateu Orfila, Menorca (Spain)

Joan Cornet

mHealth Competence Centre, Mobile World Capital Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain)

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