• TEACH-ME Sourcebook sent to School Boards
• Overviews sent to Medical Schools
   The National ME/FM Action Network sent numerous copies of the Overviews to all medical  schools and medical libraries in Canada.  Each Head of relevant departments received 1 or 4 pairs of Overview.
  

   Quest
  
  We publish a quarterly newsletter, “Quest”, which keeps our members up-to-date on medical, legal, and advocacy issues. Many of the articles are written specifically for Quest by doctors, researchers, and lawyers.
  
  First Clinical Definitions, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols Consensus Documents for ME/CFS and FMS

• Spearheaded the Drive for Clinical Consensus Documents for ME/CFS and FMS
  The National ME/FM Action Network spearheaded the drive for the first clinical definitions and protocols for ME/CFS and FMS. These consensus documents are clinical milestones.
  
• Doctors’ Questionnaire
  In response to our questionnaire, doctors across Canada concurred that clinical definitions, as well as diagnostic and treatment guidelines, should be established.
  
• Draft Documents
  Bruce M. Carruthers, MD, CM, FRCP(C), and Anil Kumar Jain, B.Sc., MD, co-authored the draft documents.
  
• Met with the Minister of Health
  Lydia Neilson, our president, met with the Minister of Health to discuss the results of the doctors' questionnaire and the draft documents. The Honourable Alan Rock (then Minister of Health) responded by stating the draft clinical definition was "a milestone in the fight against this complex and tragic condition".
  
• Support of Health Canada
  Health Canada established the “Terms of Reference” and selected Expert Consensus Panels for ME/CFS and FMS.
  
• Expert Consensus Panels’ Workshop
  Both Expert Consensus Panels met in the spring of 2001 and were able to reach consensus. Marjorie van de Sande, B. Ed., Grad. Dip. Ed., our Director of Education, was Consensus Coordinator for both documents.
  
• Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols was published in the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 11(1):7-116, 2003.
  
• Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Canadian Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols. A Consensus Document was published in the Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain 11(4): 2003. It was published simultaneously as a book.
  
• View the Consensus Documents on our website.

National Doctors’ Roster
We established a National Roster of doctors who treat ME/CFS and/or FMS patients.

National Lawyers’ Roster
We established a National Roster of lawyers who represent people with ME/CFS and/or FMS.

Educational Resources and Materials
A number of educational brochures and books have been developed to assist our membership.
See resources.

Website
The National ME/FM Action Network website was developed to provide patients, doctors, lawyers and interested others with educational information about ME/CFS and FMS.

Conferences/Seminars

ME/CFS Physicians' Workshop and Patients' Lecture
Featuring: Dr. Kenny De Meirleir of Belgium
2006 Spring - Calgary, Alberta 

Kenny De Meirleir, MD, Ph D

world renowned researcher/clinician and authority in the area of ME/CFS. Professor of Physiology and Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Belgium Director of the Human Performance Laboratory, Free University of Brussels One of four international experts on the Expert Consensus Panel for ME/CFS published 600+ peer reviewed papers Co-editor of the book “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Biological Approach” Co-editor of the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome reviewer for more than ten other medical journals Clinician - assesses and treats more than 2,000 ME/CFS patients annually. Co-founder of RED Labs, which offers diagnostic/treatment testing for ME/CFS.

Dr. De Meirleir’s First Canadian Conference is Great Success!

We are honoured that Dr. Kenny De Meirleir of Belgium gave his first Canadian Conference in Calgary, Alberta on April 1-2, 2006. Sixty-five medical practitioners attended his full day workshop and 300 people attended his lectures for patients.

Dr. De Meirleir’s excellent presentations provided participants with a wealth of research findings and diagnostic and treatment information. We are deeply indebted to Dr. De Meirleir for his ground-breaking research, integrating diagnostic profiles and treatment guidelines and his steadfast support of ME/CFS patients.

Dr. Pierre Flor-Henry MD (Edin) FRC (Psych), Director of Clinical Adult Services, Alberta Hospital Edmonton gave an informative presentation on his qEEG studies (current density source) and psychophysiological studies of ME/CFS at the physicians’ dinner.

Both Dr. De Meirleir and Dr. Flor-Henry were members of the Expert Consensus Panel that developed the Canadian Consensus Document for ME/CFS.

The National ME/FM Action Network would like to give a special thank you to Dr. Ellie Stein for the tremendous amount of work she did to make this conference possible. We extend our thanks to the planning committee and the many volunteers for their time and effort to make this event so successful:

Planning Committee:   Ellie Stein MD, FRCP(C)   • Pierre Flor-Henry MD (Edin), FRC (Psych) 
• Catherine Heaton MD, CCFP   • Len Krush MD   • Matt van Olm MD, FRCP(C)   • Bruce Lofting ND
• Jeannette Soriano MD  • Pat Wales ND  •Stajen Warness MD  • Stewart Wilkinson MD, CCFP
• Marjorie van de Sande B Ed, Grad Dip Ed (Advisor to the National ME/FM Action Network)

Volunteers:  Ann-Marie Kemp  • Ruth Rowlandson  • Janet McDowell  • Marj van de Sande  
• ME/FM Society of Alberta  • ME Society of Edmonton

Funding for this workshop was received from the Alberta Heritage Fund for Medical Research through the Community Health Research Visiting Lecturer Program. Unrestricted educational grants in support of this workshop were received from AOR, Cambrian Drugs and Script Pharmacy, and Professional Health Products.

Proceeds from these events are designated for the disbursement of educational materials to physicians in Alberta by the National ME/FM Action Network.

Recent Advances in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Featuring: Dr. David S. Bell of Lyndonville, N.Y.
2005 Fall - Calgary

David S. Bell, MD, FAAP

world renowned authority on ME/CFS Chair: US Department of Health and Human Services Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee Board of Directors: American Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Editor: AACFS newsletter clinician researcher author international speaker formerly taught at Harvard Medical School       Dr. Bell's website

Proceeds to be used for the distribution of the Canadian Consensus Documents for ME/CFS and FMS in Alberta

Note: DVDs of the lectures by Dr. Bell, Dr. De Meirleir and Dr. Flor-Henry are available. 
See resources.

First International Symposium on the Parallels of Post-Polio Sequelae, ME/CFS and FMS
2002 Spring - Toronto: We sponsored a symposium on the Parallels Between Post-Polio Sequelae, ME/CFS, and FMS featuring Dr. Richard Bruno of the U.S.A. and Dr. Elizabeth Dowsett of the UK.

• Symposium Report

Contibutor to the Canadian Health Network