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Establish an Awareness Bill in Your State!

The following is a Template for establishing a CRPS Education and Research Program Act in your state.

For a Microsoft Word Document Version of the Template, click here.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Education and Research Program Act

SYNOPSIS

Designate the “Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Education and Research Program Act.”

THIS ACT will establish complex regional pain syndrome education and research programs and supplementing Title XX of the Revised Statutes.

BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of ________________:

1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Education and Research Program Act.”

2. As used in this act:

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services; and

“Complex regional pain syndrome” or “CRPS” denotes a debilitating and progressively chronic syndrome characterized by severe burning pain, pathological changes in bone and skin, excessive sweating, tissue swelling, and extreme sensitivity to touch.

3. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, is a debilitating and progressively chronic syndrome characterized by severe burning pain, pathological changes in bone and skin, excessive sweating, tissue swelling, and extreme sensitivity to touch, which occurs in 5% of all nerve injuries;

b. More specifically, CRPS is thought to be a neuropathic pain syndrome that generally occurs at the site of a minor or major trauma injury, but may also occur without an apparent injury to the affected person;

c. While the cause of CRPS is unknown, the syndrome is thought to be the result of damaged nerves of the sympathetic nervous system;

d. The syndrome is unique in that it simultaneously affects the nerves, skin, muscles, blood vessels and bones, and if untreated, can result in permanent disability and chronic pain;

e. CRPS is often misdiagnosed because this syndrome is either unknown or is poorly understood. The prognosis for patients suffering from CRPS is generally much better when identified and treated as early as possible;

f. If treatment is delayed, CRPS can quickly spread to the entire limb, and changes in bone and muscle may become irreversible, resulting in limited mobility, atrophy of the muscles and eventual permanent disability of patients; and

g. Since a delay in diagnosis or treatment for this syndrome can result in severe physical and physiological problems, and early recognition and prompt treatment of CRPS provides the greatest opportunity for recovery, it is in the best interest of the public to establish a program to educate both individuals and medical professionals regarding this debilitative condition and to promote research to accurately identify, diagnose and treat CRPS.

4. The commissioner shall establish a CRPS education and research program in the Department of Health and Senior Services. The purpose of the program is to promote public awareness of the causes of CRPS, the value of early detection and the diagnosis of and possible treatments for CRPS, and to promote research, through public and private sources, to accurately identify, diagnose, and treat CRPS.

The Department of Health and Senior Services shall:

a. establish a public education program through the department's website, to promote CRPS education, which will enable individuals to make informed decisions about their health, including, but not limited to the following elements:

(1) the cause and nature of CRPS;
(2) the risk factors that contribute to the manifestation of CRPS;
(3) available treatment options, including risks and benefits of those options;
(4) environmental safety and injury prevention;
(5) rest and use of appropriate body mechanics;
(6) the availability of CRPS diagnostic, treatment, and outreach services in the community; and
(7) any other factors or elements that might mitigate the effects of CRPS;

b. notify local health departments, hospitals, clinics and other healthcare providers about the availability of information concerning CRPS on the department's website;

c. within the limits of funds available to the department for this purpose, coordinate, promote, and offer professional education programs, through institutions of higher education, for healthcare providers and health-related community-based organizations, which may include, but are not limited to the following elements:

(1) research findings;
(2) the cause and nature of CRPS;
(3) the risk factors, including, but not limited to, lifestyle, heredity and drug interactions;
(4) diagnostic procedures and appropriate indications for their use;
(5) medical and surgical treatment options, including experimental and established drug therapies, and the risks and benefits of each option;
(6) environmental safety and injury prevention; and
(7) the availability of CRPS diagnosis and treatment and support services in the community; and

d. promote research, through both private and public funding sources, to accurately identify, diagnose, and treat CRPS.

5. The commissioner may accept and expend any grants, awards, and other funds or appropriations as may be made available for the purposes of this act.

6. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes a complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) education and research program in the Department of Health and Senior Services. The purpose of the program is to promote public awareness of the causes of CRPS, the value of early detection and diagnosis, possible treatments for the syndrome, and to promote research through public and private sources, to accurately identify, diagnose and treat this syndrome.

Under the provisions of the bill, the department would:

1. establish a public education program, through the department's website, to promote CRPS education, which will enable individuals to make informed decisions about their health, including, but not limited to the following:
1. elements: the cause and nature of CRPS;
2. the risk factors that contribute to the manifestation of CRPS;
3. available treatment options, including risks and benefits of those options;
4. environmental safety and injury prevention;
5. rest and use of appropriate body mechanics;
6. the availability of CRPS diagnostic, treatment, and outreach services in the community; and
7. any other factors or elements that might mitigate the effects of CRPS.
2. notify local health departments, hospitals, clinics and other healthcare providers about the availability of information concerning CRPS on the department's website;
3. within the limits of funds available to the department for this purpose, coordinate, promote, and offer professional education programs through institutions of higher education, for healthcare providers and health-related community-based organizations, which may include, but are not limited to the following elements:
1. research findings;
2. the cause and nature of CRPS;
3. the risk factors, including, but not limited to, lifestyle, heredity, and drug interactions;
4. the diagnostic procedures and appropriate indications for their use;
5. medical and surgical treatment options, including experimental and established drug therapies and the risks and benefits of each option;
6. environmental safety and injury prevention;
7. and the availability of CRPS diagnosis and treatment and support services in the community; and
4. promote research, through both private and public funding sources, to accurately identify, diagnose, and treat CRPS.

Lastly, the bill provides that the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services may accept and expend any grants, awards or other funds or appropriations as may be made available for the bill's purposes.

Added January 30, 2008