Abstract:
Introduction: Pain is a complex, dynamic, and primarily subjective experience influenced by a range of biological, psychological, and social factors. Existing literature has shown racial disparities in the management of postoperative, cancer, and emergency department pain in patients of all ages, including children. If these inequities in pain management are to be rectified, and patient care individualized, a better understanding of the factors involved in patient pain experiences is needed. To date, no studies have examined the role of race in pain perception among children. The purpose of this mixed qualitative and quantitative study is to use semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and validated questionnaires to gain a more empathic understanding of pain experiences in a diverse cohort.
Methods: Approximately 75 children aged 8 to 17 years old with a pain experience (trauma, surgival, chronic, or cancer) within the last 2 years and their primary caregivers during that experience were recruited. Included participants self-identified as African American or White or Hispanic, with about 25 child/caregiver pairs per cohort. Virtual focus groups were conducted via Zoom in accordance with COREQ criteria for qualitative research. Focus group discussions aimed to obtain feedback on pain coping, resilience, prior pain experiences, education/socioeconomic indicators, and barriers to pain management. Online standardized questionnaires will also be used via REDCap to obtain feedback on pain coping, resilience, and education/socioeconomic indicators. Video and audio transcripts from all focus groups will be analyzed using NViVo coding software. Quantitative data from questionnaires will be compiled and analyzed according to pre-established and validated scoring scales.
Results: Completion of focus groups and questionnaires for all cohorts is still ongoing. Initial data analysis will begin after focus groups have concluded.
Conclusion: Overall, this study will allow us to elicit information regarding the sociocultural beliefs, provider interactions and pain assessments, access, medication prescribing, and pain coping strategies that influence and potentially act as barriers to satisfactory pain experiences within racially diverse cohorts. This information is vital to evolving educational, policy, and clinical framework strategies to better reach the needs of underserved pediatric populations.
Contact Information: Julia Kumar kumarje@mail.uc.edu
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