Canada is a world leader in children’s pain research. Effective treatments exist, yet Canadian children continue to experience undertreated and preventable pain. This is particularly true for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities who are disproportionately impacted by pain yet face significant inequities in pain care.

To address this, in 2023, our team published the world’s first national health standard for pediatric pain management with Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) and the Health Standards Organization (CAN/HSO 13200:2023). National health standards like ours are important because they tell hospital leaders and health professionals how to make sure that every child (from birth to 18 years old), including those with a neurodevelopmental disability, gets the best pain care, every time, at any hospital in Canada. However, hospitals often need support in knowing how to put these standards into practice.

Our project brings together expert teams from SKIP, nine children’s hospitals/healthcare organizations, 11 community partners, health professionals, decision-makers, implementation specialists, children, and families. Together, we will create more than 20 new tools to make it easier for hospitals across Canada to improve pain care for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. We expect to reach >50,000 people with the potential to benefit all >700,000 children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in Canada.

 

Award

  • Kids Brain Health Network: $200,000
  • Brain Canada: $200,000

 

Partners

  • Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), Dalhousie University
  • Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary
  • O’Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary
  • Azrieli Accelerator, University of Calgary
  • Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation
  • BC Children’s Hospital & Division of Developmental Pediatrics, University of British Columbia
  • Stollery Children’s Hospital
  • The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
  • CHU Sainte-Justine
  • Shriners Hospital
  • IWK Health
  • Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Children’s Healthcare Canada
  • Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary
  • Owerko Centre, University of Calgary
  • Inclusion Canada
  • CHILD-BRIGHT
  • Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA)
  • Cerebral Palsy Canada
  • CanFASD
  • The Center for Implementation

 

Team

  • Principal Investigator: Dr. Kathryn (Katie) Birnie
  • Co-Principal Investigator and Family Partner: Stephanie Paravan
  • Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Christine Chambers
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Samina Ali
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Fiona Campbell
  • Co-Investigator: Shiv Kirat Deol
  • Co-Investigator: Emily Gruenwoldt
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Marie-Joëlle Doré-Bergeron
  • Co-Investigator: Katie MacDonald
  • Co-Investigator: Stephanie McFarland
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Melanie Noel
  • Co-Investigator: Susan Poitras
  • Co-Investigator: Mike Sangster
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Jennifer Stinson
  • Co-Investigator: Kelly Thorstad-Cullen
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Evelyne Trottier
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Argerie Tsimicalis
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Hayley Turnbull
  • Youth and Family Partnership Consultant: Rachel Martens
  • Collaborator: Dr. Elizabeth Condliffe
  • Collaborator: Carly McMorris

 

Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP)

Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) is a national knowledge mobilization network on a mission to improve children’s pain management by mobilizing evidence-based solutions through coordination and collaboration. SKIP’s vision is healthier Canadians through better pain management for children.