Co-Design and Development of a Digital Pain Communication Intervention for Chronic Pain in Teens Living with Chronic Illness

Co-Design and Development of a Digital Pain Communication Intervention for Chronic Pain in Teens Living with Chronic Illness

Many young people living with chronic illnesses like asthma, cancer, and sickle cell disease continue to experience ongoing pain. This pain can affect their school, social lives, and mental health, especially when it’s not fully recognised or understood. Because pain is personal and hard to describe, it is often underestimated by caregivers and healthcare providers.

The purpose of the study is to identify the pain communication needs and preferences of teens with chronic illness and chronic pain, parents, and healthcare providers, to inform the development of an app targeting pain communication between teens and healthcare providers. Ultimately, our research aims to improve how teens communicate about their pain and take an active role in their care, thereby improving their quality of life and long-term health.

Who can participate?

We are looking for:

• Teens 13-19 years old living with a chronic illness and chronic pain (i.e., pain lasting 3 months or more)
• Parents or caregivers of teens 13-19 years old living with a chronic illness and chronic pain (i.e., pain lasting 3 months or more)
• Healthcare providers (i.e., doctors, nurses, nurse-practitioners) working in pediatric or family medicine settings who treat teens with chronic illness and chronic pain

*must live in Canada to participate

What will you be asked to do?

If you decide to sign up, you would be asked to:

• Complete a short online eligibility consent and screening (5 minutes)
• Complete an online consent to participate in the study (5 minutes)
• Complete an online study survey which includes questions relating to demographic and medical information, pain communication experiences and preferences for a pain communication app (20-30 minutes) – enter the draw for a chance to win 1 of 5 $100 Amazon gift cards
• Have the option to participate in a focus group (60 to 120 minutes) and be compensated with a $50 gift card for your time

Interested in this study?

Email us at alberts.lab@concordia.ca or click here to complete your group’s survey.