What is Hospital Pals?
Hospital Pals is an intervention for healthcare professionals that uses the well-known children's character, Barney, to provide companionship and a sense of support for pre-school aged children undergoing radiation therapy to treat their cancer.
Although radiation therapy is not painful, children often experience significant fear and anxiety as they undergo treatment.
For radiation to be effectively administered, a child must be alone in the treatment room and remain perfectly still for long periods of time. In many cases, anesthesia is necessary in order for a child to remain still. Although the use of anesthesia is safe, receiving anesthesia on a daily basis is not healthy.
What Does Hospital Pals Do?
- Through education, communication and distraction, the program is designed to:
- Help educate children and their parents about radiation therapy procedures
- Lessen children's fear and anxiety before and during radiation therapy
- Provide companionship and support to children during treatment
- Decrease the need for anesthesia for children undergoing radiation therapy
- Lessen the stress for family members and the medical team by providing comfort to the child
How Does Hospital Pals Work?
- Prior to treatment, children sit with an animated Barney doll and watch a video that helps them understand what to expect during radiation therapy.
- Barney (with the use of ActiMates technology) interacts in real time with the child and video and reinforces important topics.
- During treatment, Barney tells stories to the child and offers words of encouragement to help them remain still and calm throughout the procedure.
Hospital Pals is offered free of charge to radiation therapy programs that provide services for children. For more information please call (800) 315.2580 extension 0.
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