Bonnie Stevens1, Suzanne McGovern1, Jennifer Stinson1, Fiona Campbell1
1) Canada
Ineffective pain assessment and management can have detrimental consequences for children and families. Undertreated pain is associated with slower recoveries, increased complications and greater use of healthcare resources (Grunau 2006; Finley 2005). Evidence attests that inadequate pain practices occur due to gaps in knowledge, misconceptions about pain, and lack of training. Despite the development of interprofessional pain curricula around the world, no online curriculum has been developed and evaluated for healthcare professionals working in pediatrics. To address this need, the Pain Centre and Learning Institute at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have partnered to develop an Online Pediatric Pain Curriculum (OPPC). The OPPC includes ten educational modules, based on IASP curricula, and developed by international experts as strategies to bridge the knowledge to action gap. To evaluate the OPPC, a survey at the end of each module was developed. The survey was designed to answer questions with respect to perceived acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, implementation cost and sustainability. Early findings from respondents who completed the modules and survey indicate that (a) 90% reported improved knowledge of pediatric pain and collaboration with other healthcare providers; (b) 85% felt the modules were acceptable and appropriate and would recommend them to others and (c) 98% indicated they were easy to access. Future results will include more detailed data on the number and location of people accessing the modules and highlight differences between early and later survey submissions. Feedback on the OPPC suggests early benefits in terms of knowledge acquisition, accessibility and impact. Survey feedback will inform further development of the modules, which will educate healthcare trainees and professionals on pediatric pain assessment and management.
Acknowledgements: IASP, Special Interest Group on Pain in Childhood, CPS, PICH, CIHR, The Mayday Fund, SickKids Pain Centre, SickKids Foundation, University of Toronto.
