Dissemination of Pediatric Chronic Pain Research: Views from Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Professionals

Around 25% of children and adolescents report chronic pain, which is often associated with a range of negative consequences. Targeted dissemination of research findings is crucial to inform patients, families, and healthcare professionals about chronic pain and its treatment. To do so, a key step is to identify the knowledge needs of the targeted audience, and to determine how to best reach them.

We investigated satisfaction with current knowledge transfer concerning pediatric chronic pain and its treatment amongst adolescents with chronic pain, their parents, and healthcare professionals.

Focus groups and semi-structured interviews with adolescents with chronic pain, parents of children with chronic pain, and healthcare professionals were carried out. The discussions and interviews were analyzed applying structural content analysis.

Three adolescents with chronic pain, four caregivers and twelve healthcare professionals from Switzerland participated in the study. Patients and caregivers highlighted barriers related to social, medical, organizational, and information-specific areas, and expressed a strong desire for more tailored and accessible support. Participants emphasized the importance of recipient-specific dissemination strategies that address both informational preferences and contextual realities. Healthcare professionals, while well-networked within Switzerland, emphasized the importance of access to pediatric research data, specifically from Swiss populations.

Dissemination of scientific results on pediatric chronic pain to those who need it remains inadequate. The findings highlight the urgent need for pain education resources targeted to the different audiences, ensuring that affected families and healthcare providers are equipped with the information they need.