Communication in Pain Care and Research
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Abstract
Effective communication stands as a central component of pain management, spanning the spectrum from clinical encounters to patient engagement in research and broader public education. This refresher course addresses three interconnected domains where communication skills directly influence outcomes in pain care.
This session brings together expertise from clinical practice, research methodology, and digital health communication to provide practical guidance for professionals working in pain medicine. The workshop explores how different communication contexts require distinct approaches while maintaining core principles of clarity, respect, and patient-centered dialogue.
Structure and Content
About the media: a how-to approach to communication with patients via digital media, “do´s, dont´s and must´s”
The session begins with an examination of science communication through social media platforms. Andrea Furlan, whose work at the University of Toronto gained recognition through her extensive patient education efforts on chronic pain, will share practical insights on digital engagement. Her experience demonstrates how online platforms can bridge the gap between clinical knowledge and patient understanding. The session will address platform selection, content development, audience engagement strategies, and common pitfalls in digital health communication.
The different flavours of patient participation in research: form design to publicaiton
The second section focuses on patient participation in research frameworks. Drawing from work by David Walsh's team and presentations by Vasileios Georgopoulos, this segment examines current models for involving patients in research processes. The discussion will cover various participation frameworks, their implementation in pain research contexts, and the practical challenges researchers face when integrating patient perspectives. Participants will gain understanding of successful approaches and the conditions that support meaningful patient involvement.
Effective communication in clinical practice: meeting patient´s needs and expectations with clinicians’ possibilities
The final portion addresses communication within clinical consultations. Representatives from FAKS, a Danish patient organization for chronic pain, will present alongside a multidisciplinary group of practicing clinicians to explore the realities of patient-clinician dialogue (Daniel Forte, Palliative care specialist, Geana Kurita (nurse), XX Physiotherapist, YY, psychologist. After a presentation from Daniel Forte, patients and the groups of clinicians will discuss language choices, framing techniques, and the impact of specific communication approaches on patient experience and treatment adherence. This diverse perspective allows for exploration of how the same clinical interaction may be perceived differently by providers and patients.
Educational Objectives
This workshop serves clinicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals involved in pain management who seek to strengthen their communication practices across professional settings. Participants will develop practical skills in three communication domains relevant to pain care. They will understand the opportunities and limitations of social media for patient education, recognize established frameworks for patient involvement in research, and refine their approach to clinical conversations with attention to patient perspectives.
Faculty list with each individual talk title:
Presentation 1: Daniel Neves Forte, MD, PhD
The hierarchy of communication needs – a novel communication strategy rooted in neurobiology developed in a Brazilian COVID-ICU and high mistrust setting
Presentation 2: Iben Rohde, president and Lars Bye Møller, Specialist, FAKS – The association of people afflicted by chronic pain in Denmark
Patients’ perspective of a good communication in the clinic, in social media, in research communication, what is missing and what can be improved
3: Andrea Furlan, MD, PhD
Communicating with patients via digital media: Do’s, Don’ts and musts’
4: Judith Paice, PhD, RN, FAAN, FASCO
Tell me more: Communicating with patients, families, and teams
5: Vasileios Georgopoulos, PhD
Implementation and evaluation of structured patient and public involvement frameworks in the United Kingdom
Jason Busse
Professor
McMaster University
Jason Busse is a Professor in the Departments of Anesthesia and Health, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University, Director of the National Pain Centre, and Associate Director of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research. He holds a CIHR Canada Research Chair in the Prevention and Management of Chronic Pain.
Vishal Eswaran, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen
Vishal Eswaran is a postdoctoral researcher working in the group of Prof. Dr. Angelika Lampert at the Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen. He earned his MSc in Biomedical Engineering from RWTH Aachen University in 2021 and completed his PhD in 2025 within the Research Training Group (RTG) “MultiSenses MultiScales”. His thesis focused on the biophysics and pharmacology of voltage-gated sodium channels, combining whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology with molecular structural modelling and MD simulations. His current research is aimed at trying to uncover the mechanisms by which sodium channel variants drive pain syndromes and to establish their structure–function relationships. He is also a member of the Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen (SCNAACHEN).
Angelika Lampert, MD
Professor for Neurophysiology
Institute of Neurophysiology at RWTH Aachen University
Angelika Lampert, MD, is the Director of the Institute of Neurophysiology at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. She coordinates the Sodium Channel Network Aachen and serves as speaker of the Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen (SCNAACHEN), focusing on inherited neuropathic pain syndromes such as small fiber neuropathy linked to sodium channel mutations. Her research emphasizes translational basic science, including patient-derived stem cells, Patch-Seq, sodium channel biophysics, and pharmacology. Angelika is co-chair of the IASP Global Year 2026 on Neuropathic Pain.
Katarzyna Starowicz-Bubak, PhD, DSc
Neuropharmacologist
Jerzy Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences
Professor Katarzyna Starowicz, PhD, DSc, is a neuropharmacologist and Director of the Jerzy Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland. She received her M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the Jagiellonian University and her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Following postdoctoral training in the Endocannabinoid Research Group led by Professor Vincenzo Di Marzo in Italy, she established an independent research program focused on the neurobiology of chronic pain.
Her research interests include the mechanisms of chronic and neuropathic pain, endocannabinoid and endovanilloid signaling, osteoarthritis pain, and the neurobiology of pain relief and reward. Professor Starowicz serves on numerous international scientific committees and editorial boards. She served two consecutive terms as an Editor of the British Journal of Pharmacology and was President of the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) in 2025, after serving as President-Elect in 2024.
Professor Starowicz is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award, the National Science Centre Award in Biological Sciences, and the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) Mid-Career Achievement Award. Her work has been internationally recognized for advancing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying chronic pain and the therapeutic potential of the endocannabinoid system.
Carolyn A. Fairbanks, PhD
Associate Dean for Research
University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
Carolyn A. Fairbanks, Ph.D., is Associate Dean for Research at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, where she is Professor of Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience and co-organizer of the U of M Pain Consortium. She teaches pharmacy and graduate students about neuropharmacology, pain mechanisms, and CNS drug delivery. Her research centers on developing non-opioid analgesic medications and studying interactions between alpha2 adrenergic and opioid receptor agonists. The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program and National Institute on Drug Abuse support this research. She also serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, focusing on neuropharmacology, pain, and addiction.
Professor Katarzyna Starowicz, PhD, DSc
Director
Jerzy Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Science
Professor Katarzyna Starowicz, PhD, DSc, is a neuropharmacologist and Director of the Jerzy Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland. She received her M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the Jagiellonian University and her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Following postdoctoral training in the Endocannabinoid Research Group led by Professor Vincenzo Di Marzo in Italy, she established an independent research program focused on the neurobiology of chronic pain.
Her research interests include the mechanisms of chronic and neuropathic pain, endocannabinoid and endovanilloid signaling, osteoarthritis pain, and the neurobiology of pain relief and reward. Professor Starowicz serves on numerous international scientific committees and editorial boards. She served two consecutive terms as an Editor of the British Journal of Pharmacology and was President of the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) in 2025, after serving as President-Elect in 2024.
Professor Starowicz is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award, the National Science Centre Award in Biological Sciences, and the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) Mid-Career Achievement Award. Her work has been internationally recognized for advancing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying chronic pain and the therapeutic potential of the endocannabinoid system.
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