Pediatric Chronic Pain during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Impact, Treatment Innovations, and Vaccine Readiness

Pediatric Chronic Pain during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Impact, Treatment Innovations, and Vaccine Readiness

DATE Thursday, February 25, 2021

TIME Newfoundland: 4:30 - 6:30 pm  |  Atlantic: 4:00 - 6:00 pm  |  Eastern: 3:00 - 5:00 pm  |  Mountain: 1:00 - 3:00 pm  |  Pacific: 12:00 - 2:00 pm

All speakers consented to session being recorded in our planning meeting.

The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging the mental and physical health of everyone, and especially our most vulnerable populations. Emerging reports of worsening and new onset pain in pediatric populations during lockdowns have been reported around the world. The pandemic is also shining a spotlight on the societal problem of vaccine hesitancy, which is made worse by parents' and children's concerns about needle pain and fear. This CPS+ webinar will explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pain in pediatric populations. Speakers will share new data on: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with chronic pain, their parents, siblings, and healthcare providers; the mental health impact of the pandemic on youth with chronic pain; virtual care solutions to advance stepped care for youth with chronic pain; vaccine hesitancy, readiness, and management during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will feature a child with lived experience who will share her personal experience of living with chronic pain during the pandemic.

Speakers

Jennifer Stinson, RN-EC, PhD, CPNP, FAAN

Dr. Jennifer Stinson is a Nurse Clinician-Scientist in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, a Nurse Practitioner in the Chronic Pain Program at the Hospital for Sick Children, and Co-Director of the SickKids Centre for Pain Management, Research and Education. Dr. Stinson’s clinical work focuses on working with children and youth with chronic pain and their families as part of an interdisciplinary pain team in the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at SickKids. Her major clinical research interests are in the area of pain and symptom management and the use of e-health (internet) and m-health (mobile phones) technologies to improve the assessment and management of pain and other symptoms in children with chronic illnesses.

 @DrJenStinson

Katie Birnie

Dr. Katie Birnie is a Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at the University of Calgary where she leads the Partnering For Pain program (www.partneringforpain.com). She is the Assistant Scientific Director of Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP; www.kidsinpain.ca), a national knowledge mobilization network working to improve evidence-based children’s pain management through coordination and collaboration. Dr. Birnie has more than 50 peer reviewed publications. Her research integrates patient and family partnership and multi-stakeholder engagement to improve the prevention, assessment, and management of pain experienced by children and their families. She is 2020-2021 Mayday fellow and the 2020 recipient of the CPS Pain Awareness Award and a CPS Early Career Grant.

 @katebirnie

Anna Taddio

Dr. Anna Taddio is a professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto and Senior Associate Scientist, The Hospital for Sick Children. Her program of research examines: (1) the short-term and long-term effects of pain in children; (2) the effectiveness and safety of pain management interventions; and (3) knowledge synthesis and implementation research. Dr. Taddio leads a national network called Help ELiminate Pain in Kids & Adults (HELPinKids&Adults) that investigates and promotes evidence-based pain management during vaccination.

 @DrATaddio

 Renee Yang

Renee Yang is currently a Grade 8 middle school student in Coquitlam British Columbia. Renee was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) after a heel injury she sustained competing in Glasgow at the World Championships of Irish Dance in 2018. Since then, Renee has experienced months of chronic pain, and occasional times of being pain free. Renee was honoured to be selected to attend the Canadian Pain Society Conference in Toronto in 2019 as the youngest patient partner and had the opportunity to meet the then Canadian Health Minister, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor and share her pain story with her. In Renee’s free time, she enjoys diving and has taken up new forms of dance including hip hop, jazz and ballet.

Moderator

Melanie Noel, PhD, R.Psych

Dr. Melanie Noel is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Calgary and a Full Member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. She directs the Alberta Children’s Pain Research Lab. Dr. Noel’s expertise is on children’s memories for pain and co-occurring mental health issues and pediatric chronic pain. She published guiding conceptual models of children’s pain memory development, co-occurring PTSD and chronic pain, and fear-avoidance (109 peer-reviewed papers, H index = 31). In recognition of her contributions to advancing knowledge of the psychological aspects of children’s pain, Dr. Noel received early career awards from the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), the Canadian Pain Society, the American Pain Society, the Canadian Psychological Association, and the Society of Pediatric Psychology. She was named Avenue Magazine Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 (Class of 2017) and a Killam Emerging Research Leader (2020).

@MelanieNoel

****************************** The CPS wishes to thank supporters of the full CPS+ Webinar Program Have questions? Check out our FAQs HERE, or email us at office@canadianpainsociety.ca @canadianpain #CPSPlus  #CanadianPain21