American Pain Society's 27th Annual Scientific Meeting (May 8 – 10, 2008): Use of e-Health Technologies in the Assessment and Management of Pediatric Pain

Chronic pain in children is a common problem that can negatively impact many aspects of daily life for children and their families. e-Health technologies such as hand-held computers, the Internet and CD-ROMS are innovative approaches to enhance the assessment and management of pain in children. These technologies offer the potential for greater access to pain services, enhanced acquisition of information, and reduced costs. Evaluation of the psychometric properties of electronic pain diaries and the effectiveness of web and CD-ROM based interventions have begun to emerge. The theoretical, methodological and logistic considerations associated with e-health technologies will be discussed. This session will explore three e-health technologies including hand-held diaries, and web and CD-ROM based interventions. Jennifer Stinson will discuss the development and testing of the e-Ouch electronic pain diary in adolescents with arthritis and discuss future avenues of research in this area. Mark Connelly will discuss the efficacy, clinical utility, and dissemination of a CD-ROM pain management program for children with recurrent headache syndromes. In her presentation, Tonya Palermo will describe the development and initial efficacy trial of a web-based cognitive-behavioral pain management program for adolescents with chronic pain and their parents.