Grant: Knowledge Translation Supplement

It is estimated that around 18% of Canadians suffer from severe chronic pain, with a majority of Canadians experiencing head pain at least monthly. Chronic pain sufferers include people with chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, AIDS, or people who have suffered severe injuries or amputations, or cancer survivors. Few sufferers of chronic pain receive adequate treatment. CIHR-funded research by Dr. Terrance Snutch at the University of British Columbia has identified how N-type calcium channels contribute to chronic pain and other neurological disorders. This research has been the first to successfully describe the molecular basis for clinically important calcium channels in the cardiovascular, endocrine and nervous systems, and has uncovered a novel way to mediate pain transmission. To translate the research, we plan to create 2 short videos, one aimed at patients/caregivers and another for healthcare practitioners/students. The video content will be disseminated online and elsewhere through the physician-led news and KT organization, Insidermedicine. Insidermedicine has created over 4000 evidence-based videos over the past 4 years. Insidermedicine's partners include GoogleNews, Apple and Medline Plus. In addition, the content will also appear on InsidermedicineTV screens that will be placed in the clinic setting. The content will be evaluated through both a focus group and an interactive online survey exploring the impact of watching the material on the likelihood of discussion new pain treatments with their doctors.