Hospital procedures such as medical imaging can be a scary experience for any patient, especially children.
To help ease that worry and stress, Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) St. Vincent Children’s Hospital in Green Bay, Wis., created a child-sized toy medical scanner. The device mimics the machines used for procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT), showing children what to expect through play.
Patients choose one of three toy animals to put through a pretend medical scan, and a wall-mounted screen shows the results, while whirring noises and bright lights simulate what happens during the real procedure.
“Medical imaging like MRIs and CTs can feel loud and intimidating for kids, making it difficult for them to stay still long enough to capture the scan,” says Ashley Thompson, child life supervisor at HSHS St. Vincent Children’s. “When they see their ‘special animal’ go first, the machines become more familiar and less overwhelming.”
Robert McCune is senior editor of Healthcare Design magazine and can be reached at [email protected].
