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Definition and Assessment of Paediatric Breakthrough Pain: A Qualitative Interview Study
Eleanor Dawson1, Katie Greenfield1, Bernie Carter2
1School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Highfield SO17 1BJ, UK.
Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 27, 2024
Summary
Breakthrough pain in children with life-limiting conditions is inconsistently assessed, leading to underdiagnosis and undertreatment. A validated assessment tool is needed to improve care and quality of life for these young patients.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care
- Pain Management
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Breakthrough pain is common in children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.
- Current assessment methods for breakthrough pain in pediatric palliative care are not standardized, leading to underdiagnosis and undertreatment.
- This under-management negatively impacts children's quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore healthcare professionals' definitions and assessment practices of breakthrough pain in pediatric palliative care.
- To understand healthcare professionals' attitudes towards a validated breakthrough pain assessment tool for children.
- To identify essential features for developing a standardized pediatric breakthrough pain assessment.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive qualitative interview study was conducted.
- Semi-structured interviews were performed with 29 healthcare professionals in UK pediatric palliative care.
- Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data.
Main Results:
- Five key themes emerged: the elusive nature of breakthrough pain, current assessment practices, positive attitudes towards a validated tool, reservations about its implementation, and desired features.
- Healthcare professionals' definitions and assessment of breakthrough pain in pediatric palliative care are inconsistent.
- There is a significant need for a validated assessment questionnaire.
Conclusions:
- The inconsistent assessment of breakthrough pain in pediatric palliative care highlights a critical gap in care.
- A validated assessment tool is essential to improve the diagnosis and management of breakthrough pain in children.
- Increased education for healthcare professionals on breakthrough pain assessment is recommended to enhance patient outcomes.
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