School of Medicine
Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Patient-centred teaching and research
Since 1 November 2008, Professor Dr Boris Zernikow, MD, has held the Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine at Witten/Herdecke University. The chair is based at the Vestische Children’s and Adolescents’ Clinic in Datteln. The chair’s healthcare facilities include the German Paediatric Pain Centre and the Datteln Paediatric Palliative Care Centre.
Chair holder
Prof. Dr. med.
Boris Zernikow
Chair Holder
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr.-Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Research
The research projects at the Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine focus on three main areas: ‘Clinical Research’, ‘Health Care Research’ and ‘Diagnostics’. We employ both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Our key areas
Clinical research
Clinical research at the Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine focuses on the evaluation and development of innovative treatments offered at the German Paediatric Pain Centre and Paediatric Palliative Care Centre in Datteln. This research adheres to the standards of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and employs high-quality research methodology, for example in the form of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The relevance of the research to patients is a top priority, which is why participatory research approaches are also adopted.
Health care research
Health care research at the Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine aims to improve the standard of care for children, adolescents and young adults with chronic pain and/or in need of palliative care. Cross-sectoral projects are carried out here, which are funded by the GBA’s Innovation Committee. Taking health care economics aspects into account plays an important role in this work.
Diagnostics
Appropriate diagnosis forms the basis for the treatment and monitoring of children, adolescents and young adults suffering from pain or life-limiting illnesses. This is particularly challenging in the case of children who, due to their age and/or cognitive abilities, are only able to communicate to a limited extent. For this reason, the Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine develops and validates not only self-report questionnaires but also proxy questionnaires for parents and observation tools. Quality in clinical application is ensured by deriving evidence-based cut-off points for the assessment of these instruments.
Publications
All publications by the Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine at the UWH are listed in the university bibliography.
Teaching
Student teaching
The Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine offers the following courses for students:
Dates as per the seminar timetable
Block training in paediatrics with a focus on paediatric pain management and palliative care (QB 13, QB 14)
Students interested in teaching rounds, clinical shadowing, interdisciplinary research meetings or multi-professional pain conferences should please contact info@deutsches-kinderschmerzzentrum.de.
Students who wish to write their Bachelor’s, Master’s or doctoral thesis at our department should contact PD Dr Julia Wager.
Supervision of final-year dissertations and doctoral theses involves individual supervision by a member of the department’s staff.
Further training opportunities
The Forum for Family and Continuing Professional Development (FFF) at the Vestische Children’s and Youth Clinic in Datteln offers continuing professional development and training for various professional groups in the fields of pain management for children and young people, as well as paediatric palliative care.
The training programmes are designed using a wide variety of adult education methods. The transfer of theory into practice is a key component of our training concept. Our experienced trainers work with participants to develop solutions based on evidence-based knowledge and relevant guidelines for high-quality practice (‘best practice’). To ensure the quality of our programmes, all courses undergo scientific evaluation.
Events
Datteln Children’s Pain Conference
Every two years, the ‘Datteln Children’s Pain Days’ take place at the Ruhrfestspielhaus in Recklinghausen: a multi-professional conference on paediatric pain management and palliative care. We organise it in collaboration with partners from the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland. It offers paediatricians, healthcare professionals, paediatric nurses, psychologists and psychosocial support staff a comprehensive programme combining scientific and practical content.
The team at the Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine:
Dr. rer. nat. Priv.-Doz.
Julia Wager
Scientific Director
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr.-Friedrich-Steiner-Str. 5
45711 Datteln
Leandra Eidt
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Prof. Dr. med.
Michael Frosch
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr.-Friedrich-Steiner-Str.5
45711 Datteln
Henrike Goldstein
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Susanne Grothus
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Almut Hartenstein-Pinter
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr.-Friedrich-Steiner-Str. 5
45711 Datteln
Dr. med.
Holger Hauch
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Anna Hördemann
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr.-Friedrich-Steiner-Str.5
45711 Datteln
Bettina Hübner-Möhler
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Clarissa Humberg
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Dr. phil.
Larissa Kubek
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Kai Jule Latzel
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr.-Friedrich-Steiner-Str.5
45711 Datteln
Dr. rer. medic.
Dorothee Meyer
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Lisa-Marie Rau
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Dr. rer. medic.
Ann-Kristin Ruhe
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr.-Friedrich-Steiner-Str. 5
45711 Datteln
Anna Schlimbach
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr.-Friedrich-Steiner-Str.5
45711 Datteln
Dr. rer. medic.
Pia Schmidt
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Dr. phil.
Lorin Stahlschmidt
Researcher
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr. Friedrich-Steiner-Straße 5
45711 Datteln
Sekretariat Deutsches Kinderschmerzzentrum
Secretariat
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Paediatric Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Medicine
Dr.-Friedrich-Steiner-Str.5
45711 Datteln