"My Pain Is Not a Number": New Patient-Led Tool Launched at Parliament House in Canberra to Transform Pain Communication
10 March 2026
MPaCT empowers people living with chronic pain to communicate impact, priorities and function - not just a score
A powerful new patient-led communication tool designed to transform how chronic pain is understood and treated was launched at Parliament House during today's Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management event.
The event brought together patient leaders, clinicians, advocates and policymakers to discuss the future of pain communication in Australia and the urgent need for reform.
The My Pain Assessment Communication Tool (MPaCT), developed by patients for patients, was formally introduced in collaboration with Painaustralia and Dragon Claw Charity, which is currently evolving into MyFlareUp.
For decades, pain has often been reduced to a number on a scale of zero to 10 and MPaCT challenges that model.
Rather than focusing solely on intensity, the tool helps people living with chronic pain communicate:
- The impact of pain on daily function, work and relationships
- What matters most to them
- Their goals for care
- The support they need to live well
Because pain is personal and communication should be too.
Dr Charmaine Jones, MD (AOA), Retired Palliative Medicine and Director of Dragon Claw, said the launch marks a significant shift toward genuine patient partnership in care.
"My pain is not a number and reducing pain to a score doesn’t capture what it takes from our lives - our work, our sleep, our relationships, our sense of self.
"MPaCT gives patients a structured, safe way to explain their pain in their own words and to identify what matters most to them.
"When patients can communicate impact and priorities, clinicians can partner with us more effectively. That is the foundation of truly shared decision-making.”
Monika Boogs, CEO of Painaustralia, said chronic pain affects one in five Australians, yet too many people feel unheard or reduced to a number.
“Tools like MPaCT strengthen shared decision-making and support more meaningful conversations between patients and health professionals.
“Launching this tool at Parliament House reinforces an important message: the patient voice must be central to policy, funding decisions and clinical reform.” said Ms Boogs.
Members of Parliament and attendees at the Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management event acknowledged the critical role of patient-led initiatives in shaping the future of pain care in Australia.
Chronic pain remains one of the most complex and costly health challenges facing the nation. Despite this, many patients report feeling unheard, misunderstood or reduced to symptom metrics that fail to reflect lived experience.
Dragon Claw Charity, now transitioning to MyFlareUp.org, is a not-for-profit organisation founded to amplify the voices of people living with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. The organisation works at the intersection of patient advocacy, remission awareness, health data empowerment and policy engagement.
Painaustralia is the national peak advocacy group representing the 3.7 million Australians that live with chronic pain and works to ensure that their lived experience and voice is part of the national conversation about addressing chronic pain.
The Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management event provided a national platform for leaders across advocacy, clinical practice and policy to discuss the future of pain management in Australia - with patient-led innovation front and centre.
ENDS
Media Contact:
Demi Zeglinas
PR & Marketing Director Dragon Claw Charity
0433433576
Monika Boogs
CEO Painaustralia
0419 423 603