Topical Concurrent Session 2C – Promotion of coping in children from everyday to persistent pains

Description

Children’s everyday/minor pain experiences can be affected by parental pain experiences and reactions, and this influences the development of children’s understanding of and behaviours to minor injury. Researchers at University of South Australia report on the findings of a Delphi study to establish an expert consensus on the key messages and communication strategies for children of different ages that will help them understand pain, injury and promotes recovery and resilience to these everyday experiences at different age groups.

In our hospitals and clinics, infants and children continue to experience procedural pain as a result of their healthcare needs. In the second part of this session we will review practical evidence-based options to reduce the pain and promote coping associated with painful procedures in children

In the final section we will discuss Comfort-Ability, a brief cognitive behavioural therapy intervention, initially developed at Boston Children’s Hospital, and now being delivered at the Perth Children’s Hospital and Adelaide Women and Children’s Hospital both in-person and by telehealth formats. Clinicians will describe their early experience of developing and delivering this program for the Australian system which aims to promote positive coping strategies for those children with persistent pain.

Speakers:
Dr Sarah Wallwork, University of South Australia, SA
Dr Dianne Crellin, Royal Children’s Hospital, VIC
Ms Anna Hilyard, Perth Children’s Hospital, WA
Tegan Starr, Women & Children’s Hospital, SA