Alberta Children's Hospital improves communication to ease patient's pain

Calgary nurses and doctors have come up with ways to ease the pain of emergency room visits at Alberta Children's Hospital byhelping kids communicate with doctors.

Under the Commitment to Comfort program, posters of treatment options are put upthroughout the emergency department. There's also a small pain scale tohelp patients describe their pain so medical staff can provide the right level of care.

The young patients can choose from an ice pack, warm blanket, toys or pain medication that doesn't requirea needle.

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"Sometimes we would ask a child if they wanted a pain medication and they wouldsay no but it was actually because they thought we would be bringing a needle,"saidDr. JenniferThull-Freedman, an emergency doctor.

"By putting on our posters that we have numbing creams before needles, we hope that families know that they can ask for it even if we might forget to offer it."

Last fall, physicians asked parents and their children how satisfied they were with pain treatment and found 18per centsaid their pain was not addressed well. Since the program launched in the spring, that number has been reduced to fiveper cent.

LindsayMcKaybrought in her five-year-old daughterMicahto check on a wrist-injuryfrom ice-skating just before Christmas. The little girlplayedwith a tablet while waiting to be seen.

"It's comforting knowing that this service is here just because she's kind of an introvert and a little bit shy."

McKaysaid her daughter felt more at ease with available distractions likecolouring books and aniPad.

Afterbreakinghis arm while playing hockey, 14-year-old Donald Powellsays he was nervous at first when he went into the emergency room.

"They made me feel pretty at ease," said Powell.

Emergency doctors say they areworking towards having 100 per centsatisfaction with pain management.

There areplans to expand the program to other departments, as well as emergency departments throughout Calgary in the spring.