Can sharing improve caring? A call to prioritize shared decision making in pediatric pain management.

A systematic review of in‐person versus remotely delivered interventions for youth with chronic pain

“…14 Shared decision making involves sharing evidence with youth and their caregivers and presents an opportunity to engage youth in making decisions for their pain management. 40 Considerations for how youth wish to access care, what options are most appropriate for whom, and what is most feasible for the individual can set the foundation to support youth and their families make important decisions about their care with guidance from health professionals. When high-quality evidence is available to youth and health professionals alike, all partners can be best supported in making decisions about how to proceed with care, 41 leading to better treatment engagement.…”

“…Evidence resulting from a direct head-to-head comparison of inperson versus remotely delivered interventions for youth with chronic pain is highly valuable and must be mobilized among youth with chronic pain and their families through tools such as decision aids. 40 Such tools not only serve to share evidence related to a medical decision with patients in plain language but also provide support ing what type of care is ideal and for whom, such that youth, families, and health professionals can be appropriately supported in their decision about how to pursue care. Future research must not only aim to fill this knowledge gap but also account for diverse perspectives in considerations around how effective care is delivered.…”

“…This need was identified by equity‐seeking youth with pain and their families (i.e., Black, Indigenous, complex medical needs, and/or neurodevelopmental disabilities) in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic and rapid pivot to virtual care 14 . Shared decision making involves sharing evidence with youth and their caregivers and presents an opportunity to engage youth in making decisions for their pain management 40 . Considerations for how youth wish to access care, what options are most appropriate for whom, and what is most feasible for the individual can set the foundation to support youth and their families make important decisions about their care with guidance from health professionals.…”

“…Evidence resulting from a direct head‐to‐head comparison of in‐person versus remotely delivered interventions for youth with chronic pain is highly valuable and must be mobilized among youth with chronic pain and their families through tools such as decision aids 40 . Such tools not only serve to share evidence related to a medical decision with patients in plain language but also provide support to weigh personal preference, values, and other important factors to aid in making a choice around care.…”