Nova Scotia

#KidsCancerPain to help parents manage their children's illness

Clinicians at Halifax's IWK Health Centre and the Hospital for Sick Children are using social media to ease the pain of children with cancer by providing parents with the latest research through an online hashtag.

Campaign brings latest developments in pain management from medical journals to the web

Clinicians at Halifax's IWK Children's Hospital are using the hashtag campaign to bring latest developments in pain management from medical journals to parents scouring the internet for ways to make their child feel better. (CBC)

Clinicians at Halifax's IWK Health Centre and the Hospital for Sick Children are using social media to ease the pain
of children with cancer by providing parents with the latest research through an online hashtag.

Dr. Christine Chambers and Dr. Jennifer Stinson have partnered with the Cancer Knowledge Network to bridge the gap between the medical and caregiver communities.

They've set up a digital guide for parents scouring the internet for ways to make their child feel better.

Weeding out misinformation

The interactive campaign brings cutting-edge developments in pain management out of medical journals and onto the World Wide Web where it can be accessed by parents under #KidsCancerPain.

The Making Cancer Less Painful for Kids team will supply expert-vetted information about gauging discomfort, administering treatment, addressing the psychological impact of illness and dispelling widespread myths about cancer that come up in your traditional Google search.

Chambers said the key to success will be getting direct feedback from parents, because as a mother of four, she knows there is no better advocate for a child.