Pioneering Pain Relief: University of Calgary's Breakthrough in Pediatric Pain Management

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The University of Calgary has taken a leading role in developing groundbreaking national guidelines for pediatric pain management in Canada, marking a significant advancement in children's healthcare.

Dr. Katie Birnie, an assistant professor at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine, chaired the Health Standards Working Group that developed these guidelines. This initiative, in partnership with Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) and the Health Standards Organization (HSO) of Canada, brought together a diverse group of 14 experts in pediatric pain management from across the country.

The team included a wide range of professionals:

• Physicians
• Physical therapists
• Psychologists
• Child life specialists
• Health administrators
• Nurses
• International experts

Importantly, the group also included youth and family partners with lived pain experiences, ensuring that the guidelines were informed by those who have directly faced these challenges. Published on April 3, 2023, these guidelines represent the first national standard for pediatric pain management in Canada on April 3, 2023, these guidelines represent the first national standard for pediatric pain management in Canada and are currently the only such standard in the world. This achievement underscores the University of Calgary's position as a global leader in children's pain research and management.

The need for these guidelines is clear and pressing.

In Canada:

• One in five children will experience chronic pain before age 18
• Hospitalized children undergo an average of six painful procedures every 24 hours
• Babies in neonatal intensive care units may experience up to 14 painful procedures daily

The guidelines aim to address the significant gap between available knowledge on managing children's pain and its practical application in day-to-day care. They provide a comprehensive framework for health organizations, covering crucial areas such as:

• Pain education and training
• Assessment and management strategies
• Transitions in care
• Quality improvement initiatives

By establishing these standards, the University of Calgary and its partners are working to ensure that all children and families have safe, equitable, and reliable access to pain treatments across Canada. This initiative is expected to drive a cultural shift in healthcare organizations, positioning pediatric pain management as a priority and integrating it into the core of organizational practices.

These new national guidelines for pediatric pain management developed by the University of Calgary and partners are expected to have a significant impact on healthcare providers across Canada in several ways:

1. Standardized approach: The guidelines provide a consistent, evidence-based framework for managing pediatric pain across all healthcare settings in Canada. This standardization will help ensure that children receive high-quality pain management regardless of where they are treated.
2. Cultural shift: The guidelines aim to drive a cultural change in healthcare organizations, positioning pediatric pain management as a priority. This shift will encourage healthcare providers to integrate pain management into their core practices and organizational policies.
3. Improved education and training: The guidelines emphasize the importance of pain education and training for healthcare providers. This focus will likely lead to increased opportunities for professional development and improved knowledge about effective pain management strategies.
4. Person-centered care: The guidelines highlight the importance of involving children and families as equal members of the healthcare team in pain management decisions. This approach will require healthcare providers to adopt more collaborative practices and communication strategies.
5. Quality improvement initiatives: Healthcare providers will be encouraged to implement quality improvement programs related to pain management, which may lead to ongoing refinement of practices and better outcomes for patients.
6. Addressing knowledge-practice gap: The guidelines aim to bridge the significant gap between available knowledge on managing children's pain and its practical application. This will help healthcare providers translate research findings into their daily practice more effectively.
7. Equitable care: By providing a national standard, the guidelines will help ensure that all children across Canada have access to safe and equitable pain management, regardless of their location or healthcare setting.
8. Interdisciplinary collaboration: The development of these guidelines involved a diverse group of experts, including physicians, physical therapists, psychologists, and health administrators. This interdisciplinary approach is likely to promote better collaboration among different healthcare providers in managing pediatric pain.
9. Addressing specific challenges: The guidelines will help healthcare providers tackle common issues in pediatric pain management, such as the high frequency of painful procedures in hospitalized children and neonatal intensive care units.
10. Long term health impacts ; By improving pain management practices, healthcare providers can potentially reduce the risk of long-term consequences associated with poorly managed pain, such as increased pain sensitivity, healthcare avoidance, and mental health issues.

These guidelines represent a significant step forward in pediatric pain management in Canada and are likely to have a profound impact on how healthcare providers approach and prioritize pain management for children across the country. Led by the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, the university is partnering with Alberta Health Services, the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, and the community to transform the health and well-being of children and families through innovative research. The development of these guidelines aligns with the University of Calgary's broader commitment to child health and wellness research.

By bringing together diverse expertise and lived experiences, these guidelines have the potential to significantly improve pain management for children across Canada and serve as a model for similar initiatives worldwide.