PANDA Study - Ambulance pain in children and young people V1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
improving Pain mAnagement for childreN and young people attendeD by Ambulance (PANDA): A realist informed intervention development and feasibility study.
IRAS ID
336603
Contact name
Gregory Whitley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
BACKGROUND: Each year in England approximately 86,000 children and young people under 18 years of age are transported by ambulance to emergency departments with acute pain. The pain may have been caused by injuries such as wounds, burns or broken bones, or by illnesses such as tummy pain. Paramedics and other ambulance clinicians aim to reduce the pain at the scene and during hospital transport. Treating pain in children and young people attended by ambulance is very challenging and research studies have shown that around 60% do not have their pain treated effectively. Without effective pain treatment, children and young people may suffer adverse consequences such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
AIM: The aim of this PANDA study is to explore the experiences of children and young people who have been attended by ambulance for a painful condition, along with their parents/carers and ambulance clinicians and to develop a new method to improve pain management.
METHODS: The research will involve three stages. Stage 1 will search for and analyse published research, clinical guidelines and policies to understand how previous methods to improve pain management have worked. Stage 2 will use interviews, diaries and electronic communication to understand the experiences of children, young people, parents/carers and ambulance clinicians, with arts and drawings used for younger children to enable them to better explain their experience. Clinical data will be used to analyse pain reported by children and young people to see which pain treatments work best. Stage 3 will gather key people, such as children, young people, parents/carers, members of the public and ambulance staff to work together and develop a new method to improve pain management. The new method may, for example, include training for ambulance staff, feedback on the care they provide or pain assessment and treatment prompts.
REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/WM/0086
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jun 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion