Canadian Pain Task Force Meeting: May 20, 2020

Canadian Pain Task Force Meeting: May 20, 2020, 14:00-16:00 EST

Via videoconference

Meeting Summary

Provide an update on the inputs and process for Phase II report creation and on various ongoing projects and engagements
Discuss the status of the Task Force online consultation and responses to date
Provide updates on Task Force website, including updates and resources for people living with pain

Task Force: Fiona Campbell, Maria Hudspith, Manon Choinière, Hani El-Gabalawy, Jacques Laliberté, Jaris Swidrovich, Linda Wilhelm

Secretariat: Dhilal Alhaboob, Pamela Rizzo, Andrew Taylor, Megan Wyszynski, Lindsey Yessick

The Secretariat welcomed everyone and provided an overview of the meeting objectives and agenda.
No significant updates to Task Force members' affiliations or interests.

The Secretariat has secured a contract with Hill and Knowlton Strategies for the analysis of the online consultation results. Hill and Knowlton Strategies will also analyze and integrate information from the regional workshop summaries and other meeting summaries to create a draft report, which will form the basis of the Phase II Task Force report. The Secretariat, Task Force, and External Advisory Panel will build on this work and integrate other evidence and input to finalize the report.
The Task Force discussed ways to overcome challenges related to pain surveillance and how best to support research on the economic costing of pain, which will be integrated into the Phase II report.
The Task Force discussed important considerations relevant for creating the Phase II report including:
- Aligning and building the Phase II report from the Phase I report, continuing to use the main themes previously identified as a guiding structure, and retaining similar style, length, and format.
- Recognizing the health care system will be potentially transformed as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring our Phase II report reflects an awareness of this new environment.
- Providing longer technical appendices and resources for those readers who want to go deeper into the content.

Task Force members discussed the interim response to the online consultation and strategies for improving participation and completion rates, including redistributing the consultation link through various networks and social media.
Task Force and Secretariat members discussed feasibility of planned stakeholder engagement activities in the territories and with Indigenous communities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Task Force will explore alternatives with planning partners in these communities leaving the final decision to the stakeholders (e.g., switch to virtual discussions or postpone the in-person sessions to a later date).
Task Force members agreed to explore a virtual workshop with basic sciences researchers.

The Task Force discussed ways to further build links to resources for people living with pain and to post these resources on the Task Force website in addition to disseminating through email.
Members discussed several projects exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on people living with pain, including innovative proposals to explore the application of stepped care models implemented in mental health service delivery in pain care.

The Task Force will meet on June 10 for an update on Phase II inputs.
The Task Force and External Advisory Panel will reconvene on June 30 to review the Phase II inputs and discuss future work planning.