Digital tools are helping young people reclaim their lives from chronic pain
Dr. Jennifer Stinson’s award-winning research on "digital therapeutics" is closing the two-year waitlist gap for pediatric care in Canada

For a teenager living with chronic pain, life doesn't pause for a waitlist. In Canada, about one in five children and youth experience chronic pain, yet many face hurdles as they seek care. With wait times stretching up to two years at some pediatric pain clinics, young people are often left to navigate their symptoms largely on their own.

“As a new nurse, I was struck by how poorly children’s pain was assessed and treated,” says Dr. Jennifer Stinson, now Senior Scientist and Nurse Practitioner at SickKids. This early experience is what inspired her to obtain her master’s and PhD to address pediatric pain on a wider scale—moving pain management out of the waiting room and into the digital spaces where young people spend their time.

Dr. Stinson’s work is built on the belief that research is only effective when it includes the voices of those it serves. Jermaine, a long-term patient partner who has lived with sickle cell disease for over 30 years, is one of those voices. For the past decade, Jermaine has collaborated with Dr. Stinson to ensure digital tools actually meet the needs of young patients.

Jermaine knows firsthand why these tools are vital, especially when a patient turns 18 and transitions out of the pediatric system. “When I turned 18, I stopped going to SickKids and I didn’t have specialized care again until I was 23,” he recalls. “I was among many who fell through the cracks.”

During those five years, Jermaine relied on self-management and the advocacy of his mother, who is a nurse. But he recognizes that not everyone is so lucky. “You have to have a level of privilege to even know what it means to be health literate,” he says. “If you have language barriers or live near poverty, that treatment gap is even more severe.”

To close these gaps, Dr. Stinson met young people where they feel most at home: in digital spaces. From her early work developing electronic diaries for arthritis to her current projects using virtual reality and AI robots, her mission has remained the same.

“Kids are early adopters of technology,” Dr. Stinson explains. “It just made sense to design these pain apps and diaries with youth—if you don’t involve people with lived experience, you’ll develop something that isn’t meaningful to them.”

Jermaine’s involvement has been central to this "co-design" process. Over the years, he has participated in focus groups, provided feedback on user experience, and even contributed content like voiceovers for the app’s resource library. Today, this work has culminated in the iCanCope app, a mobile platform that acts as a 24/7 digital coach for youth living with chronic pain, arthritis, sickle cell disease, neurofibromatosis, and post-operative pain.

For Jermaine, the app’s value goes beyond tracking symptoms—it’s about data-driven advocacy, especially for marginalized groups who often face racial disparities in health care. Having a digital record enables patients to provide objective evidence of their experience, ensuring their voices are heard in the clinic.

The results are tangible. Young people with sickle cell disease using iCanCope reported nearly 40% fewer days with pain compared to those without the app. While Dr. Stinson’s team works to make these tools accessible in clinics across Canada, Jermaine remains focused on the next generation. “My hope is for youth to have a higher capacity for what they can accomplish,” Jermaine says. “I want them to feel the confidence that they can get through bouts of pain and navigate the world.”

For Dr. Stinson, the 2025 Gairdner Momentum Award is a reflection of this shift in medicine—one where a smartphone is no longer a distraction, but a vital instrument for healing and equity.

At a glance

Issue

One in five children in Canada experience ongoing pain, yet waitlists for specialized care often stretch to two years.

Research

Dr. Jennifer Stinson, recipient of the 2025 Peter Gilgan Canada Gairdner Momentum Award, is closing this gap through "digital therapeutics"—apps, VR, and AI designed alongside youth.

Impact

Tools like iCanCope have been shown to reduce pain days by nearly 40% for youth with sickle cell disease.