Dr. Samina Ali

Professor, Pediatric Emergency Physician, University of Alberta

Pediatrics, emergency medicine, children’s emergency medicine, children's pain, children's fracture pain

Media

Canada creates world's first pain management standards for kids

CBC News, April 6, 2023Television

URL: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2190999619992

Reporter: Erin Collins
The National, CBC

Why are needles so scary? Alberta child pain researcher has answer and tips to help

Global News, November 30, 2021Television

URL: https://globalnews.ca/news/8411224/family-matters-children-needles-helpful-tips/

Reporter: Kendra Slugoski
Family Matters, Global News

Can you be immune to COVID-19, but still infectious?

Global News, January 6, 2021Television

URL: https://globalnews.ca/video/7560169/can-you-be-immune-to-covid-19-but-still-infectious

Reporter: Su-Ling Goh, Global News

COVID-19 infections & health care workers’ mental health

Doctor shares tips to make needles easier for kids this flu season

The Skeptic's Guide to Emergency Medicine, June 15, 2023Radio/Podcast

URL: https://thesgem.com/2023/07/sgem-xtra-hurts-so-goodbut-does-it-have-to-a-pain-management-standard-for-children/

From the website:

Background: Pain, a common acute and chronic complaint that we see a lot in the emergency department. Whether it is a broken bone, a laceration, abdominal pain, sickle cell vaso-occlusive pain episode, emergency department physicians are familiar with patients experiencing pain, but do we always do a good job at addressing it?

The answer is no, especially in vulnerable groups like the seniors [1], certain ethnicities [2], patients with mental health issues [3], and pediatric patients [4,5]. While addressing pain, we sometimes must perform medical procedures which lead to…more pain. This issue is magnified in children where even placement of an IV can be traumatic and painful for a child who does not understand why they’re getting poked. The emergency department can be a painful place to be…

CBC , November 29, 2022Radio/Podcast

URL: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-17-edmonton-am/clip/15951734-robots-helping-doctors-improve-childrens-er-care

Reporters: Mark Connolly & Tara McCarthy
Edmonton AM, CBC Radio

The PEAK of Research Innovation

Northern Alberta Clinical Trials & Research Centre (NACTRC), October 30, 2023Online

URL: https://nactrc.ca/2023/10/the-peak-of-research-innovation/

From NACTRC website:

PEAK stands for Pediatric Emergency Advancing Knowledge and provides health research support to figure out how to treat children who come into the emergency room and other medical support facilities.

Clinicians involved with child patients have found that research is a way to positively connect with families.

“I have had over 80% of a positive response from families when I approach them [about participating in clinical research],” says Neelam Mabood, a Research Assistant on the PEAK Research Team.

The emphasis of PEAK is on advancing knowledge within pediatric medicine to create better outcomes for children and their families. This research is entirely voluntary, but the children understand that, by participating, they’re helping other children so they’re really excited to be a part of the studies.

PEAK is an excellent example of how research is making a difference in the lives and health of people across Alberta.

Meet MEDi: a robot designed to help children in hospital manage pain, anxiety

City News Edmonton, December 11, 2022Online

URL: https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2022/12/11/medi-robot-children-hospital-pain-anxiety/

Written by Laura Krause

Canada first to develop medical standards to keep kids from suffering pain in silence

Canadian researchers publish the first guidelines for best practices in treating pain in kids

Canadian researchers’ national guidelines for treating children’s pain a global first

Seven ways to soothe your child’s pain in the hospital

A survey of caregiver preferences regarding research participation in the pediatric emergency department

by Ma K, Rajagopal M, Stang A, Yaskina M, Freedman SB, Lerman B, Ali S

Published by Paediatrics & Child Health

November 7, 2023

Creating a Low Stimulus Clinic to Improve Immunization Success Rates for Children with Alternate Environment Needs: A Quality Improvement Initiative

by McDonald M, Gallaugher S, Kammerer E, Ali S

Published by Paediatrics & Child Health

December 12, 2023

Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on optimizing pain care-related knowledge translation at a Canadian children’s hospital: a qualitative study

by Kammerer E, Linkiewich D, Ali S

Published by Paediatrics & Child Health

November 1, 2023

Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on improving family-centred pain care in a tertiary pediatric centre

by Kammerer E, Fawcett-Arsenault J, Ilicupidez L, Ali S

Published by Canadian Journal of Nursing Research

January 22, 2024

Pharmacologic Procedural Distress Management During Laceration Repair in Children: A Systematic Review

by Siu A, Tran N, Ali S, Coyle D, Mahood Q, Pechlivanoglou P, Poonai N, Heath A

Published by Pediatric Emergency Care

February 1, 2024

Biography

Dr. Samina Ali has been a pediatric emergency physician and professor of Pediatrics & Emergency Medicine for almost 20 years. Her work focuses on research improving the management of children's pain. Ali is an executive member of Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC); a faculty member with Pain in Child Health (PICH), co-chair of PERC’s Pain Interest Group, pain content advisor for TREKK.ca (a national knowledge mobilization network); a Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine (BEEM) faculty member; and Western Canadian hub lead for Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), a newly formed national knowledge mobilization network. She has over 90 published manuscripts, dozens of online resources, as well as podcasts and book chapters. She has also spoken across about pediatric pain management across Canada and internationally. She has also supervised over 40 student researchers, with the majority of projects relating to children’s pain management. She cares about children’s pain and wants to make their healthcare experience better.

Additional Titles and Affiliations

Medical Director, ChildKind International Initiative, Stollery Children's Hospital

Hub Lead, Western Canada, Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP)

Research Director, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta

Chair, Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC)

Expertise

  • professionalism in medicine
  • pediatrics
  • emergency medicine
  • children's emergency medicine
  • children's pain
  • children's fracture pain