Balloon Animals, Guitars, and Fewer Blood Draws: Applying Strategies From Pediatrics to the Treatment of Hospitalized Adults
Authors: Michael R. O'Brien, Marjorie S. Rosenthal, Kumar Dharmarajan, Harlan M. Krumholz
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2015)

Ideas and Opinions19 May 2015Balloon Animals, Guitars, and Fewer Blood Draws: Applying Strategies From Pediatrics to the Treatment of Hospitalized AdultsMichael R. O'Brien, MD, Marjorie S. Rosenthal, MD, MPH, Kumar Dharmarajan, MD, MBA, and Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SMMichael R. O'Brien, MDFrom Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut., Marjorie S. Rosenthal, MD, MPHFrom Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut., Kumar Dharmarajan, MD, MBAFrom Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut., and Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SMFrom Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M14-2219 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Children are not little adults. A belief in the unique needs of children creates a different hospital environment for ill children—one that is more supportive and less disruptive.Walk around a children's hospital, and you will find that nearly every floor has a playroom with games, computers, and a library. You will find volunteers making balloon animals or teaching kids how to paint. Turn the corner, and you may meet a child life specialist playing a guitar. This is a professional with a background in psychology or music therapy, whose role it is to provide comfort through play, song, and ...References1. Committee on Hospital Care and Child Life Council. Child life services. Pediatrics. 2014;133:e1471-8. [PMID: 24777212] doi:10.1542/peds.2014-0556 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Mittal V. Family-centered rounds. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2014;61:663-70. [PMID: 25084715] doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2014.04.003 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Duff AJ, Gaskell SL, Jacobs K, Houghton JM. 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Bao Y, Kong X, Yang L, Liu R, Shi Z, Li W, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine for cancer pain: an overview of systematic reviews. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:170396. [PMID: 24817897] doi:10.1155/2014/170396 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Krumholz HM. Post-hospital syndrome—an acquired, transient condition of generalized risk. N Engl J Med. 2013;368:100-2. [PMID: 23301730] doi:10.1056/NEJMp1212324 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Detsky AS, Krumholz HM. Reducing the trauma of hospitalization. JAMA. 2014;311:2169-70. [PMID: 24788549] doi:10.1001/jama.2014.3695 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Michael R. O'Brien, MD; Marjorie S. Rosenthal, MD, MPH; Kumar Dharmarajan, MD, MBA; Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SMAffiliations: From Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M14-2219.Corresponding Author: Michael R. O'Brien, MD, Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, SHM IE-61, PO Box 208088, New Haven, CT 06520; e-mail, michael.robert.[email protected]edu.Current Author Addresses: Drs. O'Brien and Rosenthal: Yale School of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, 333 Cedar Street, SHM IE-61, New Haven, CT 06520.Drs. Dharmarajan and Krumholz: Yale School of Medicine, Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, 1 Church Street, Suite 200, New Haven, CT 06510.Author Contributions: Conception and design: M.R. O'Brien, M.S. Rosenthal, K. Dharmarajan, H. Krumholz.Drafting of the article: M.R. O'Brien, M.S. Rosenthal.Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: M.S. Rosenthal, K. Dharmarajan, H. Krumholz.Final approval of the article: M.R. O'Brien, M.S. Rosenthal, K. Dharmarajan, H. Krumholz.Obtaining of funding: H. Krumholz.Administrative, technical, or logistic support: M.S. Rosenthal, H. Krumholz.Collection and assembly of data: M.R. O'Brien. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoApplying Strategies From Pediatrics to the Treatment of Hospitalized Adults Michael R. O'Brien Applying Strategies From Pediatrics to the Treatment of Hospitalized Adults Philip D. 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St. John, MD, MPH 19 May 2015Volume 162, Issue 10Page: 726-727KeywordsBloodChild healthChildrenComplete blood countComputed axial tomographyHealth careHospitalizationsLength of stayLibrariesPediatrics ePublished: 19 May 2015 Issue Published: 19 May 2015 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2015 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...