A cutting-edge new framework for the pain management in children: nanotechnology

Pain is a subjective concept which is ever-present in the medical field. Health professionals are confronted with a variety of pain types and sources, as well as the challenge of managing a patient with acute or chronic suffering. An even bigger challenge is presented in the pediatric population, which often cannot quantify pain in a numerical scale like adults. Infants and small children especially show their discomfort through behavioral and physiological indicators, leaving the health provider with the task of rating the pain. Depending on the pathophysiology of it, pain can be classified as neuropathic or nociceptive, with the first being defined by an irregular signal processing in the nervous system and the second appearing in cases of direct tissue damage or prolonged contact with a certain stimulant. The approach is generally either pharmacological or non-pharmacological and it can vary from using NSAIDs, local anesthetics, opiates to physical and psychological routes. Unfortunately, some pathologies involve either intense or chronic pain that cannot be managed with traditional methods. Recent studies have involved nanoparticles with special characteristics such as small dimension and large surface area that can facilitate carrying treatments to tissues and even offer intrinsic analgesic properties. Pediatrics has benefited significantly from the application of nanotechnology, which has enabled the development of novel strategies for drug delivery, disease diagnosis, and tissue engineering. This narrative review aims to evaluate the role of nanotechnology in current pain therapy, with emphasis on pain in children.

Targeted Training for Subspecialist Care in Children With Medical Complexity

BACKGROUND

Children with medical complexity (CMC) are prone to medical errors and longer hospital stays, while residents do not feel prepared to provide adequate medical care for this vulnerable population. No educational guidance for the training of future pediatric tertiary care specialists outside their field of expertise involving the multidisciplinary care of CMC exists. We investigated pediatric residents past educational needs and challenges to identify key learning content for future training involving care for CMC.

METHODS

This was a prospective mixed-methods study at a single pediatric tertiary care center. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with residents were conducted, submitted to thematic content analysis, linked to the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) general pediatrics content outline, and analyzed with importance performance analysis (IPA). Quantitative validation was focused on key themes of pediatric nephrology within the scope of an online survey among pediatric residents and specialists.

RESULTS

A total of 16 interviews, median duration 69 min [interquartile range IQR 35], were conducted. The 280 listed themes of the ABP general pediatrics content outline were reduced to 165 themes, with 86% (theoretical) knowledge, 12% practical skills, and 2% soft skills. IPA identified 23 knowledge themes to be of high importance where improvement is necessary and deemed fruitful. Quantitative validation among 84 residents and specialists (response rate 55%) of key themes in nephrology yielded high agreement among specialists in pediatric nephrology but low interrater agreement among trainees and "trained" non-nephrologists. The occurrence of themes in the qualitative interviews and their calculated importance in the quantitative survey were highly correlated (tau = 0.57, p = 0.001). Two clusters of high importance for other pediatric specialties emerged together with a contextual cluster of frequent encounters in both in- and outpatient care.

CONCLUSION

Regarding patient safety, this study revealed the heterogeneous aspects and the importance of training future pediatric tertiary care specialists outside their field of expertise involving the multidisciplinary care of CMC. Our results may lay the groundwork for future detailed analysis and development of training boot camps that might be able to aid the improvement of patient safety by decreasing preventable harm by medical errors, especially for vulnerable patient groups, such as CMC in tertiary care pediatrics.

Development and Validation of Pediatric Opioid Analgesia Self-Instruction System (PedOASIS): An Opioid Knowledge Tool for Pediatric Clinicians

BACKGROUND

Acute pain is common in children and young adults with cancer and sickle cell disease. Current training curricula fail to adequately impart skills for pain management. We sought to develop and validate an education and assessment tool to address the safe effective use of opioids for pain management by pediatrics trainees.

METHODS

The first version of the tool contained 10 case-based, multiple-choice questions. It was pilot tested within a medium-sized pediatric residency program using preintervention and postintervention surveys to assess residents' knowledge and comfort related to prescribing opioids. Content validation was performed through an expert panel of physicians. Internal reliability was tested by administering the tool to learners and practitioners with varying levels of training.

RESULTS

Comfort with choosing and converting between opioids increased significantly in pilot testing (P=0.005). Mean objective knowledge scores increased from 51% to 85.9% (P<0.001). The revised tool showed internal reliability within each group (Cronbach alpha 0.71 to 0.78) and significant differences in mean scores between groups (F ratio=9.45, P=0.0002).

CONCLUSIONS

This tool demonstrates validity and internal reliability. Its use was associated with short-term educational gains and it garnered overall favorable feedback from users. Further testing is needed to assess the duration of these gains.

Primary Palliative Care Education for Trainees in U.S. Medical Residencies and Fellowships: A Scoping Review

Background: The medical profession increasingly recognizes the growing need to educate nonpalliative physicians in palliative care. Objective: This study aims to provide a scoping review of the primary palliative care (PPC) education currently available to graduate medical trainees in primary and specialty tracks. Design: Studies of PPC interventions in U.S. residency or fellowship programs of all subspecialties published in English and listed on MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE through January 2020 were included. To meet admission criteria, studies had to describe the content, delivery methods, and evaluation instruments of a PPC educational intervention. Results: Of 233 eligible full texts, 85 studies were included for assessment, of which 66 were novel PPC educational interventions and 19 were standard education. Total number of publications evaluating PPC education increased from 8 (2000-2004) to 36 (2015-2019), across 11 residency and 10 fellowship specialties. Residency specialties representing the majority of publications were emergency medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, and pediatric/medicine-pediatrics. PPC content domains most taught in residencies were communication and symptom management; the primary delivery method was didactics, and the outcome assessed was attitudes. Fellowship specialties representing the majority of publications were pediatric subspecialties, nephrology, and oncology. The PPC content domain most taught in fellowships was communication; the primary delivery method was didactics and the outcome evaluated was attitudes. Conclusions: While PPC education has increased, it remains varied in content, delivery method, and intervention evaluations. Future studies should include more widespread evaluation of behavioral outcomes, longitudinal persistence of use, and clinical impact.

Pediatric Resident Perception and Participation in End-of-Life Care

BACKGROUND

Despite advances in medical care, pediatric deaths are still an unfortunate reality. Most of these deaths occur within a hospital setting. End-of-life care is an important part of medical care for children with serious illnesses. Despite the importance, pediatric providers report a lack of comfort surrounding end-of-life care.

OBJECTIVE

To assess categorical pediatric residents' perceptions and participation in providing end-of-life care to dying children and their families.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a survey-based, descriptive, mixed-methods study. Survey was sent to categorical pediatric residents at Indiana University School of Medicine in June 2018 to obtain both quantitative and qualitative information on resident perception and participation in end-of-life care. Surveys were sent to 100 residents with a response rate of 68%.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Pediatric residents at Indiana University School of Medicine.

RESULTS

The comfort and participation in end-of-life care are limited in all levels of pediatric training. Residents do not feel comfortable with 19 of 22 questions related to end-of-life care. Only 32% of residents felt their education prepared them to participate in end-of-life care. Almost one-fifth (19.5%) of residents report participating in zero aspect of end-of-life care. Themes discussed by residents include education, experience, communication, social norms, emotions, self-care, comfort, and family.

CONCLUSION

More formalized education and training is needed to increase resident comfort with and participation in end-of-life care. Such future interventions should focus on communication surrounding difficult conversations and providing guidance for families.

A Curriculum in Quality Improvement for Interprofessional Palliative Care Trainees

INTRODUCTION

A structured and intentional approach to quality improvement is critical for clinicians specializing in palliative care and is a required component of training programs.

METHODS

We present a multimodal, comprehensive curriculum for teaching quality improvement to interdisciplinary trainees in palliative care.

RESULTS

The curriculum consists of 4 sessions, one and half hours long a piece, that focus on the purpose and practice of quality improvement and guide learners through a team-based project implementation experience. Course assessments demonstrate satisfaction with the course and improvement in targeted skills, knowledge, and attitudes.

DISCUSSION

Several key learnings stand out from our experience with this curriculum as central to the experience of students: project work completed as interdisciplinary teams, varying teaching methodologies over a longitudinal curriculum, and the opportunity for formal presentation of their work.

Factors Associated With Knowledge and Comfort Providing Palliative Care: A Survey of Pediatricians in Mexico

BACKGROUND:

Lack of education and training in palliative care has been described to be one of the most important barriers to pediatric palliative care implementation.

OBJECTIVE:

To examine what factors determine the degree of knowledge and level of comfort Mexican pediatricians have providing pediatric palliative care.

METHODS:

A questionnaire that assessed palliative care concepts was developed and applied online to Mexican pediatricians, both generalists and specialists.

RESULTS:

A total of 242 pediatricians responded. The majority had not received palliative care education (92.6%) and felt uncomfortable discussing palliative needs with patients and families (92.1%). The mean score of the questionnaire was 6.8 (±1.4) of 10 correct answers. Knowledge in palliative care was associated with exposure to oncologic patients ( P = .01) and previous palliative care education ( P = .02) but inversely related to the pediatrician's age ( P = .01). Comfort addressing patient's palliative care needs was associated with knowledge in palliative care ( P < .01), exposure to oncologic patients ( P = .03), and previous education in palliative care ( P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS:

Although Mexican pediatricians have basic knowledge of palliative care concepts, they do not feel comfortable addressing palliative care needs, suggesting that the main barrier for implementing palliative care is not the lack of knowledge but rather feeling uncomfortable when addressing these issues with patients and families. Educational programs should incorporate strategies that could help physicians develop comfort in approaching palliative care patients.

A Systematic Review of Training in Symptom Management in Palliative Care Within Postgraduate Medical Curriculums

CONTEXT

Symptom management is a priority area within palliative care core competencies for generalist providers. Although several educational initiatives exist, a comprehensive evidence synthesis on the effectiveness of symptom management training on trainees' learning and patient-reported outcomes is lacking.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of training in symptom management in palliative care providers in nonpalliative specialties.

METHODS

This is a systematic review following Best Evidence Medical Education methods from searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane database of systematic, Clinical Trials.gov, and ISRCTN databases to September 2017. Prospective controlled studies testing the impact of symptom management educational interventions on physicians in training in nonpalliative specialties were included. Data were summarized narratively, grouped by curriculum description, and effectiveness on trainees' learning or patient-reported outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 5062 records identified, six studies met the inclusion criteria: two randomized controlled trials and four quasi-experimental. Pain management and use of opioids and their side effects were most frequently covered. Clinical decision support tools, Web-based teaching, palliative care rotation, and mixed educational methods were used. Most studies used self-reported, original, or modified evaluation instruments, although psychometric properties were seldom reported. Despite methodological considerations, all educational methods improved trainees' learning outcomes. However, the effects on trainees' behavior and patient-related outcomes were not evaluated.

CONCLUSION

Current educational training programs in symptom management appear to improve trainees' comfort, preparedness, and knowledge in assessing and managing patients' symptoms at the end of life. More rigorous research to evaluate the impact of this training on residents and organizational performance is now required.

Palliative Care for Children with Cancer in the Middle East: A Comparative Study

Introduction:

High incidence rates of childhood cancer and the consequent deaths in the Middle East is one of the major reasons for the need for palliative care in these countries. Using the experiences and innovations of the other countries can provide a pattern for the countries of the region and lead to the development of palliative care in children. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare the status of pediatric palliative care in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iran.

Materials and Methods:

This is a comparative study in which the information related to pediatric palliative care system in the target countries (from 2000 to 2016) has been collected, summarized, and classified by searching in databases, such as “PubMed, Scopus, Google scholar, Ovid, and science direct.”

Results:

Palliative care in children in the Middle East is still in its early stages and there are many obstacles to its development, namely, lack of professional knowledge, inadequate support of policy-makers, and lack of access to opioids and financial resources. Despite these challenges, providing services at the community level, support of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), using trained specialists and multi-disciplinary approach is an opportunity in some countries.

Conclusion:

Considering the necessity of the development of pediatric palliative care in the region, solutions such as training the human resources, integrating palliative care programs into the curriculum of the related fields, establishing facilitating policies in prescription and accessibility of opioids, providing the necessary support by policy-makers, doing research on assessment of palliative care quality, as well as NGOs' participation and public education are suggested.