Beyond honesty: choosing language for talking to children about pain and procedures

Gene Stanford, long an influential and colorful member of the Association for the Care of Children's Health (ACCH), died on February 25, 1991, after a long illness. His presentation, "Talking to Children about Medical Procedures," at the 1985 ACCH conference in Boston was heard by and has influenced the thinking and clinical skills of many ACCH members. As an author and coauthor of many publications addressing communication skills and the needs of children in health care, it is fitting that his memorable presentation in 1985 incorporated both areas of Gene's expertise. At my request, an outline was submitted for this theme issue. Unfortunately, he was not able to develop it further. However, it is highly informative, useful, and representative of quality clinical skills and judgment just the way it is. For this reason, it is printed here just as Gene wrote it. It is a small piece of the legacy that Gene leaves behind for children and families in health care.