Solutions for kids in pain: putting research into practice

Children’s pain has been in the headlines lately thanks to widespread shortages of popular over-the-counter medications used to manage it. While Canada has long been a leader in research on children’s pain management, there wasn’t a national coordinating centre to push the knowledge into practice. Until now. Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) is a collaboration between researchers, patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals and 48 health institutions. All children’s hospitals in Canada are members, along with more than 100 international partners. SKIP's network continues to grow since its 2019 launch and now has five regional hubs: Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax, with the administration offices in Halifax. It provides resources to healthcare professionals, patients and families on the management of pain in children, many of which can be directly accessed on its website. The most popular resources, in the wake of COVID, are on managing pain involved with vaccinations, said Dr. Christine Chambers, SKIP’s scientific director. Resources include pain reduction during immunization fact sheets from organizations across Canada and a culturally-relevant vaccination story developed with Star Blanket Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. There’s also a guide for schools on students with chronic pain, patient education on postoperative pain and information on migraines. SKIP has also partnered with The Rounds to provide an “ask me anything” series. It will examine various issues in pediatric pain management, for example, pain in children with disabilities. Posting resources is not the only way SKIP is ensuring knowledge about pediatric pain management is put into practice. It’s currently working with the Health Standards Organization (HSO) to create and implement the first accreditation standard for how pain in children should be managed in hospitals, according to Dr. Chambers. The standard will include recommendations on education and training for physicians about proper pain management in children. It’s a big step, she said, noting that there isn't not actually an equivalent standard for adults. Read: Canadian Pediatric Society releases guidelines for detecting anxiety in kids and youth SKIP’s future goals include a deeper dive into opioid use in managing children’s pain, Dr. Chambers said, to ensure use of these drugs is safe and equitable. It will take a focus on how to address equity and diversity in pain management. Often, patients who present at a pain management clinic are from a narrow demographic sliver of the population. This means many children are not getting the management they need. Dr. Chambers referenced an August 2022 article in the New York Times that highlights recent studies showing how children who are racialized are less likely to get adequate pain control compared to non-racialized children. SKIP participates in many meeting, such as the Children’s Healthcare Canada’s annual conference it's set to participate in from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 in Ottawa. SKIP will also be involved in the International Symposium on Pediatric Pain in Halifax in October 2023. In addition to its website, healthcare professionals can connect further with SKIP by following @kidsinpain or using the hashtag #itdoesnthavetohurt on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. It also sends a monthly newsletter. Read: Ophthalmic antibiotics speed recovery in children with acute infective conjunctivitis

Solutions for kids in pain: putting research into practice

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