Editorial

Stan Innes

The early days of learning the ropes of editorship has been greatly facilitated by the COCA executive and staff. They have been a source of encouragement and patience as I fumble my way through the quagmire of the task at hand. My genuine thanks and appreciation for their vote of confidence and perseverance as we all go through a steep learning curve.

As part of the learning process I observed a board meeting. We are lucky to have such a group of committed people at the head of COCA. They give generously of their limited time. The breadth and depth of issues that were addressed was far ranging and complex. Despite the inherent difficulties in teleconferencing, they expressed and integrated a diverse range of opinions that did justice to all.

Can I express my excitement at the presence of Gordon Waddell at our annual conference? He is one of the world’s leading research figures in developing and expanding our understanding of biopsychosocial factors. This area is revolutionizing the way chronic / persistent pain is conceptualized, assessed and managed. His attendance, as a keynote speaker, is timely. His thinking has impacted on most, if not all, current formulations for interventions and management of chronic pain. It is practical material that is on the cutting edge and highly relevant for “day to day practice”. My congratulations to COCA on acquiring such a prominent and influential figure.

The role of editor appears to be a challenging one (to say the least!). I plan to take sometime to canvas the professions and get some feedback on directions for the future. Please feel free to drop me a note with ideas, concepts, relevant material, or even for brainstorming.