This study will gather stories from Black Canadian caregivers and their children about their experiences with anti-Black racism in pediatric pain care. Researchers are looking for two Black-Canadian patient partners (children 12-18 years of age or caregivers >18) that have had any pain-related interaction with the healthcare system. They will join a collaborative team (composed of a PhD student from Dalhousie University and a post-doctoral fellow and expert in anti-racism from Dalhousie University.
The opportunity is part of a project entitled, “Anti-Black Racism and Children’s Pain Management”. Researchers want to understand Black Canadians’ individual perspectives on how systemic racism has impacted their pediatric pain management and led to treatment gaps. This study was guided by the following research question: what are the pain management experiences of Black-Canadian caregivers and their children? In order to answer this question, interviews will be conducted with 10 Black-Canadians who have had a pain-related (migraines, procedural pain, chronic pain, needle pain, pain from diseases such as sickle cell. etc.) interaction with the healthcare system. The interviews will be centered on understanding caregivers and their children’s pain stories and how those stories have potentially been shaped by experiences of anti-Black racism. Thus, questions will be centered around getting in-depth pain stories that highlight participant experiences of anti-Black racism.
Eligibility
- Black-Canadians (12-18 years of age) who have had a conversation about managing their pain with a healthcare professional (ie., a physiotherapist, psychologist, primary care physician, etc)
- The caregiver (>18 years of age) to a Black Canadian child (between the ages of 12-18 years) who has had a conversation about managing their pain with a healthcare professional (ie., a physiotherapist, psychologist, primary care physician, etc)
- Can communicate in English
- Lives in Canada
- Have internet access
Time commitment
This is a virtual opportunity. Email is typically used for communication in between meetings, but we are open to using other platforms for communication. All requested communication accommodations will be considered, and all work can be done virtually and/or asynchronously. The meetings are expected to commence in October 2024 and end at the end of April 2025. The first meeting conducted will be an open discussion where everyone’s roles and expectations will be discussed. The subsequent meetings will be centered around discussing specific details of the research project. More specifically, the chosen patient partners will help to co-create interview questions that capture pain treatment stories of Black Canadian youth and their caregivers, and ideas of systemic anti-Black racism. Their expertise will also provide valuable insight when interpreting the participants’ narratives and ensure that the analysis accurately reflects the experiences of the participants. Last, the patient partners will be involved in the discussion on finalizing appropriate methods of disseminating the knowledge collected. The last meeting will be an opportunity for the patient partners to debrief with the team about any feedback pertaining to their experience working with us.
In total, this commitment will require approximately 10-12 hours of their time.
Appreciation
Patient partners will be compensated for their work.