PRESS RELEASE FOR 2021 NATIONAL LYMPHEDEMA CONFERENCE

Lymphedema is a condition of permanent swelling of one or more areas of the body. There are an estimated one million Canadians living with lymphedema (also referred to as, "chronic edema"), and yet diagnosis and treatment remains widely unknown in the medical community. This causes many patients to feel isolated from lack of treatment and from lack of understanding by others.

The isolating effects that many chronic edema patients live with due to this lack of awareness and services, and to the disfiguring nature of their disorder, have been exacerbated by the pandemic as access to treatment and important support groups has been curtailed. What little opportunity there is to bring this community together has been made more challenging by the inability to gather in person for the much anticipated, biannual educational conference hosted by the Canadian Lymphedema Framework (CLF).

The CLF is a collaborative organization that brings together patients and specialized health care professionals. At this important event, the National Lymphedema Conference, stakeholders come together to share their experiences and keep up with advances in the field.
Despite the pandemic's challenges to traditional gatherings, the 2021 National Lymphedema Conference is going ahead, online, by taking advantage of developments in the rapidly growing field of virtual conferencing. The event will take place December 3-4, 2021 via a sophisticated and highly interactive virtual event platform that is easy for attendees to access from any web-enabled device. It will feature livestreamed sessions with experts and thought leaders from around the globe and a virtual exhibit hall with live representatives ready to share all the latest in products and services for this patient population. Access to presenters and networking between delegates will be available through question-and-answer forums and using text, audio, and video communication tools.

Because there is no need for a physical meeting space or travel and accommodations, the conference presenters are looking forward to welcoming higher numbers of attendees than ever. This new model can increase the number of people, both patients and professionals, who might benefit from the access to information and networking. As a result, it represents a milestone of accessibility to learning for the lymphedema community.

Knowledge is important for early diagnosis and long-time self-management of lymphedema. The organizers hope this event will positively impact so many more Canadians living with lymphedema who might otherwise be unable to attend if the event were "in person."

The theme of the conference will be "Moving Evidence into Practice, " presented in collaboration with Wounds Canada

For more information on how to attend, visit the website of the Canadian Lymphedema Framework at https://canadalymph.ca/conference/.

Short Description:

Despite pandemic challenges, the 2021 National Lymphedema Conference is going ahead, online, taking advantage of developments in virtual conferencing.

About the Canadian Lymphedema Framework:

The Canadian Lymphedema Framework (CLF) is an academic and patient stakeholder collaboration, which is part of an international initiative to promote research, best practices and lymphedema clinical development worldwide.

Lymphedema is a condition of permanent swelling of one or more areas of the body. There are an estimated one million Canadians living with lymphedema (also referred to as, "chronic edema"), and yet diagnosis and treatment remains widely unknown in the medical community.

Our mission is to improve the management of lymphedema and related disorders in Canada. In collaboration with the International Lymphoedema Framework (ILF) and the American Lymphedema Framework Project (ALFP), we will contribute to the global advancement of lymphedema care.

Our vision is that comprehensive treatment for lymphedema and related disorders will be accessible to all persons across Canada.