Letter:
Rapid Response:
Patient reports of harm from GET cannot be ignored
Dear Editor
Professor Trudie Chalder from King’s College Hospital states that:
“The NICE guidelines for CFS/ME are at odds with the research evidence. Researchers from different institutions in different countries have found graded exercise therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy to be effective for some patients with CFS.
Evidence has shown they reduce fatigue and improve functioning without harm, if delivered by trained therapists in specialist clinics. Being a clinician and researcher in this field, I can’t help but think clinicians will be confused by this message from a respected organisation.”
Having carefully reviewed all the very extensive evidence on efficacy and safety for graded exercise therapy (GET) from relevant clinical trials, medical experts and from people with ME/CFS, the NICE guideline committee concluded that in addition to there being no sound evidence for efficacy for GET there was also consistent patient evidence of harm, sometimes serious and persisting, occurring.
Read the rest of this letter HERE.
Source: Charles Shepherd. BMJ 2021; 375 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n2643 (Published 29 October 2021) BMJ 2021;375:n2643