Medical Professionals

An Important Role
As a health care professional, you can play an important role in the fight against chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). By becoming knowledgeable about the diagnosis and management of (CFS) and staying abreast of new information, you can provide a higher level of care to your patients and you can be on the cutting edge of addressing a challenging public health concern.

CFS affects at least one million Americans, making it one of the nation's most prevalent, yet misunderstood, chronic illnesses. Many of these patients go undiagnosed, drifting from one health care provider to another until many drop out of the health care system altogether; either out of frustration and hopelessness or due to dwindling financial resources. Preliminary studies indicate that for CFS, as with other chronic conditions, early detection, diagnosis and treatment yield better health outcomes. Improving patient care through the education of health care professionals has become a major initiative for the CFIDS Association of America.

Related Information
The following list provides resources for health care providers who want information about chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The CFIDS Association of America serves as a resource for health care providers, patients and other persons seeking information about CFS, including the following

• 1994 International Work Group Case Definition
• Canadian Clinical Case Definition
• Diagnosis
• FAQs by health care providers
• Grant information
• Patient Health Status Questionnaire
• Prevalence Study
• Reprints of research articles and other related CFS materials, including a provider packet
• Research briefs and articles 
• Social Security Disability 

Additional Resources
Theadditional resources list can be viewed to find contact information for the Federal Government, disability benefits, national organizations and health professional organizations.