The Art of Waiting: Evaluation of an Interactive Media Experience in a Children's Hospital Clinic Waiting Space
Condition: Anxiety
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that providing low-intensity
      opportunities for interactive play can improve the waiting and overall clinic experiences of
      children. This study evaluates an innovative, interactive system called ScreenPlay designed
      to realize the intentions of the "Healing Environment" in the waiting space of a paediatric
      hospital.
    

Detailed description: 
      Existing entertainment and distraction options (e.g. toys, video games) meet neither
      organizational standards nor families' needs with respect to accessibility and infection
      control. Additionally, they do not provide the types of positive experiences (e.g. calm, low
      intensity) that are most desirable for children awaiting treatment.

      The goal of this research is to empirically evaluate the effectiveness of ScreenPlay, a
      technology that enables users to create or manipulate animations on a screen/projection, and
      to provide an evidence-informed model for the design of optimal paediatric waiting spaces. A
      blinded, clustered, parallel randomized controlled trial applying objective outcome measures
      and qualitative methods will be used to compare children allocated to one of three waiting
      conditions at a large urban rehabilitation hospital: (a) no media (standard care), (b)
      passive media (a silent nature video), or (c) interactive media (ScreenPlay). This study will
      answer the questions:

      Can Interactive Media (i.e. ScreenPlay):

        1. reduce state anxiety in children/youth attending an outpatient clinic? and,

        2. improve child, parent, and staff satisfaction with the clinic experience?

      We hypothesize that:

        1. Decreases in state anxiety will be greater for children exposed to ScreenPlay for 10
           minutes than for those exposed to passive (i.e. a nature video) or no media (i.e.
           standard care/control). The decrease in state anxiety associated with ScreenPlay will be
           >5 points on the normalized 100 point State Anxiety Scale.

        2. ScreenPlay will generate more movement/activity on the floor (i.e. an indicator of
           active engagement with the system) than the passive media or control conditions as
           measured via contact floor sensors.

        3. The waiting and overall clinic experience of children with diverse mobility, parents,
           and staff will be perceived more positively when exposed to ScreenPlay as compared to
           passive media or control conditions.
    

Intervention name(s): ScreenPlay
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Interactive technology
Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Participants include clients, their parents/guardians, and staff associated with the
        outpatient clinic at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.
      
Keywords: Hospital Design; Technology; Anxiety