ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ ΑΝΤΙΡΕΥΜΑΤΙΚΟΥ ΑΓΩΝΑ

The "StigmApp" application is expected to bring significant benefits to patients, while offering a variety of innovative features, such as:

• Training in the form of bite-sized learning oriented to combat stigma
• Informing the general population and patients about the treatment of stigma
• Mobilizing the public to participate in the fight against stigma
• Provide a platform for raising money to conduct surveys and anti-stigma activities
• Ability to network and communicate between patients and the general population
• Ability to exchange views and experiences
• Facilitate the management of chronic pain and negative emotions and provide the ability to record the necessary medical data related to the therapeutic approach followed (eg medication).

The application is addressed to:

• Patients with chronic pain
• Caregivers and patients' families
• The specialities of doctors associated with chronic pain

The duration of the project is two years 2020 - 2022. The availability of the application has no deadline

The Hellenic League Against Rheumatism (HELAR/ELEANA) in collaboration with the Department of Public and Community Health, the School of Public Health, the University of West Attica and the Cyprus Association of Rheumatologists (CEPLAR) has created an innovative mobile application ) to combat the stigma associated with chronic pain and related diseases.
The application is very user friendly and includes:

• informative videos to fight stigma
• videos with tips to fight chronic pain
• section where each user will be able to have his medical file for better communication with his doctor
• blog where patients will be able to communicate with each other
• reminding of each patient's medication to increase patient compliance

The project will be completed by the end of 2022 and is already available for free in the google shop.

The Hellenic League Against Rheumatism collaborated for the implementation of the application with the Department of Public and Community Health, the School of Public Health, the University of West Attica and the Cyprus Association of Patients with RMGs (CEPLAR).

The application won the 1st prize in the European competition "Brain, Mind and Pain Grant 2019-2020" with the theme of fighting stigma: "STOP Stigma! Reduce stigma to improve quality of life for brain, mind and pain patients ”.

The “Brain, Mind and Pain Patient-Centered Innovation Grant” (BMP Grant) is an initiative of Pain Alliance Europe (in which HELAR and the CEPLAR are members and represent Greece and Cyprus respectively) and Grünenthal to identify and encourage patient-centred scientific innovations in chronic pain and neurological disorders, with a view to encouraging research and access to innovative treatments, promoting prevention, improve the quality of life of people living with these diseases. Proposals from 8 different European countries participated in the competition and a total of three projects were funded, where they promise the most benefits for the specific patients with the main criteria of perfect scientific approach, innovation, patient-centred planning and maximizing the benefit for the population target.

They collaborated to create the application

• Volunteers - members of HELAR and CEPLAR 
• Doctors - collaborators of HELAR and CEPLAR 
• The team and collaborators of Prof. Koumbouros, Assistant Professor of the Department of Public and Community Health, the School of Public Health, the University of West Attica, inspirer and responsible for the creation of the app.

The action is implemented in Athens but is addressed to all patients in Greece and Cyprus and not only as it is also available in English.

The application has not been perfected yet. To date, Patient Associations from Europe have shown interest in compiling and using it.

The benefits for the Hellenic Anti-Rheumatism Society are

• The continuous education of its members and all Greek patients with chronic pain
• Creating innovative services and solutions for the benefit of patients
• Increasing the quality of life of its patients - members