I became a part of the See Pain More Clearly initiative as a graduate student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Regina working under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Hadjistavropoulos. I initially became involved with the project when we launched the pilot campaign on October 1, 2019 with the help of various organizations and partners. As a trainee, it was frustrating to learn that despite the abundance of research articles produced each year, only a small proportion ever make their way into practice. In fact, it can take an average of 17 years for research findings to make their way into widespread clinical practice. This is an unacceptable state of affairs for older adults who may not be around in 17 years to receive the benefit that current evidence and solutions can provide. As a part of the SPMC team, I am excited to contribute to helping bridge this gap. A huge part of this effort is ensuring that stakeholders and the public are aware of the problem of pain in dementia and the evidence-based solutions that are available to address this problem.
As a trainee, I have learned a lot from my experience in working to mobilize knowledge about pain in dementia. Although many scientific articles are produced each year, transforming the findings of into impactful and dynamic action in practice often encounters numerous barriers. The jargon embedded in research articles can act as a barrier to knowledge uptake. By working with stakeholders, we have created engaging content tailored to the needs of health professionals, researchers, patients and families, and policy makers. I have learned, that now more than ever, researchers have to be creative in the way that evidence-based information is disseminated. Social media platforms present new and innovative avenues to share research findings. Our work has allowed me to connect with stakeholders from around the world. The SPMC initiative has enriched my understanding of the potential impact that research can have in the lives of older adults with dementia and their families. I am excited to continue our work and look forward to more collaborations to improve the quality of life of people with dementia.
Graduate Student in Clinical Psychology
University of Regina
How You Can Help?
Would you like to share your thoughts on our See Pain More Clearly initiative and the use of social media to mobilize knowledge about pain in dementia?
We are looking for researchers to participate in a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the #seepainmoreclearly social media initiative to mobilize knowledge about pain in dementia.