Pain Medicine
Research
Pediatric Pain Management Educational Initiatives for Medical Students, Physicians and Nurses
A pediatric pain education initiative utilizing internet-based educational materials and self-assessment instruments which is designed to measure improvement in practitioner knowledge of pain and symptom management.
Opioids for Pain Control in Children
We are participants in a national study sponsored by the Children's Hospital Corporation of America (CHCA), which is a collaborative of the leading children's hospitals in the United States. This study is designed to establish best practices for opioid administration in children.
Communication of Pain and Symptoms in Children with Serious Illness
A multicenter investigation designed to determine how children and parents describe pain and other distressing symptoms. Several state-of-the-art questionnaires will be administered to both parents and children to determine if the perception of the parent differs from that of the child's experience.
Pain Initiative in Pediatric Sickle Cell Patients
Chronic and recurrent acute pain interferes with normal childhood development, socialization and schooling. Pain perception is influenced by emotion as well as the sensation of pain itself. Pain assessment of the sickle cell patient is therefore complex. The Pediatric Pain Management Program is working closely with the hematology service to pioneer accurate pain assessment in this group of patients. Strategies are being developed to decrease hospitalizations for vaso-occlusive crisis by providing aggressive, multidisciplinary outpatient management. Innovative therapies including the use of long-acting opioids, adjuvants and non-pharmacologic techniques are being utilized and investigated.
Clinical Pathways for Pain Management
No parent wants his or her child in the hospital longer than absolutely necessary. The Pain Management Program is developing clinical pathways to ensure the best pain and symptom management during a child's hospitalization. Excellent pain and symptom control affects patient and family satisfaction, as well as promoting readiness for discharge. The Pain Management program has established clinical guidelines for the surgical subspeciality services and cardiothoracic surgery program.
Palliative Care Initiative
Palliative care is viewed as a continuum of care. It begins at the time of diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening condition and extends through treatment. Palliative care is comprehensive care, which may be offered along with curative therapy. Palliative care is intensive care of the patient and family which can be delivered in the hospital, home or community setting and it includes, along with pain and symptom management, psychological, spiritual, social services support and for those who succumb to their illness bereavement counseling.
Pediatric palliative care is an evolving area of specialization. We participate in PC-QuIC which is a palliative care quality improvement collaborative that is committed to improving palliative care in New York City. It is sponsored by the United Hospital Fund in partnership with RAND Health and the Washington Home Center for Palliative Care Studies.
Local and National Affiliations
- The Hospice and Palliative Care Association of New York State's Pediatric Palliative Care Advisory Group
- Children's Hospice Initiative for Pediatric Palliative Care Services (CHIPPS)
- Pediatric Pain Medicine program representation on the education sub-committee
- Pediatric Pain Medicine Program contributes a pain management article, on a quarterly basis, to an electronic nationally distributed newsletter
- Initiative for Pediatric Palliative Care (IPPC)
- Faculty leadership for the development of case-based and parent-focused educational curriculum and pedagogy
