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When children visit an emergency department, one of their greatest fears is whether they will experience pain.  Not only does pain cause short term suffering, but it can cause long term harm as well, such as altered pain processing, post-traumatic stress, and future healthcare avoidance. Commitment to Comfort© initiative started in Calgary ED’s using a quality improvement collaborative (QIC) approach and is now being offered across Alberta.  Over 40 sites will participate, with representation from all zones!

 

The commitment states that “we will do our best to promote comfort by helping to lessen pain and distress”.  It is a partnership among staff, families, and patients to recognize, assess, and treat pain together.  The project provides participating sites with resources to anticipate, mitigate, and treat pain. 

 

We believe that by working together we can achieve a high standard for pain treatment for children visiting any ED in Alberta.