Diagnosis versus dialogue: oral testimony and the study of pediatric pain.

Through the perspectives of the children, this essay examines the communication between pediatric pain patients and their doctors. Based upon the oral history responses of thirty-two patients with chronic pain present for evaluation at the Pediatric Pain Clinic at UCLA, oral testimony was employed to uncover a wide range of topics related to a child's experience with pain such as family dynamics, how and when pain became a life-changing factor, coping strategies, and external sources that contribute to the child's understanding of pain. Most important, children were encouraged to explain what it was like to be in pain, not only to describe symptoms but also to share their dreams and hopes, their fears and uncertainties -- as well as the place of pain in their world.