Three themes for designing games that aim to promote a positive body perception in hospitalized children

Hospitalized children often experience physical changes that negatively affect their bodily perceptions, thereby adding to the stress of being sick. Existing approaches to supporting hospitalized children such as those promoted by the Clown Doctors use play to distract the child from negative bodily perceptions. In contrast, we propose reframing the bodily perception of these children through bodily virtual play facilitated by their imagination. We explore this design space through an analysis of the literature combined with design explorations around play and bodily imagination. This research results in a set of themes for games that aim to reframe bodily perception to a more positive self-image full of creative potential. We envisage that our work could help designers who aim to create digital play for sick children

Estrategias de adaptación a la hospitalización en niños preescolares

Trabajo fin de grado en EnfermeríaObjetivo: Con esta búsqueda bibliográfica se pretende revisar la literatura sobre las herramientas que favorezcan una mejor adaptación al entorno hospitalario en niños preescolares ingresados en plantas de corta y larga estancia. Método: Se han realizado búsquedas bibliográficas en lenguaje controlado (términos Mesh y DeCS) en PubMed, CINAHL y CUIDEN; y con lenguaje libre en Psicodoc, Scopus, SciELO. Resultados: La hospitalización es un agente que actúa como estresor, provocando grandes cambios en los roles familiares, los cuales se ven aumentados cuando se trata de pacientes pediátricos. Entre las herramientas para facilitar la adaptación a este proceso en niños preescolares, se destacan aquellas que están basadas en la distracción, consiguiendo así eliminar la atención del niño a los estímulos negativos. Los niños preescolares incluyen el juego en su día a día y a través de éste aprenden, por lo que resulta útil introducir esta estrategia durante el proceso de hospitalización. De forma que se recomienda utilizar técnicas lúdicas como: el uso del juego, la clownterapia, el dibujo, la arteterapia, así como modificaciones en el ambiente hospitalario. Conclusión: el uso de estas técnicas se ha demostrado en diversos estudios que son herramientas útiles para ayudar a la enfermera en las estrategias de afrontamiento de los niños y favoreciendo la inclusión de la familia, ya que se aportan grandes beneficios en su cuidado.Objective: The aim of this research is to revise the literature about the tools that help a better adaptation to the hospital environment in preschool children admitted in short and long-stay wards. Method: Researches have been made with Mesh terms and DeCS in PubMed, CINAHL and CUIDEN; and free-text language in Psicodoc, Scopus and SciELO. Results: The hospitalization is a factor that acts as a stress agent, causing big changes in familiar roles, which effects increase in pediatric inpatients. Some useful tools used in the adaptation to this process, it is highlighted those based on the distraction, succeeding to eliminate negative stimulus for the child. In preschool children the play is an important part of their day-to-day routines and through it they can learn too, so that is very important that in this stresing process of hospitalization ludic techniques are included, such as: the use of play, clown therapy, drawings, art therapy, as well as modifications in the hospital environment. Conclusion: the use of these techniques have proved in different studies that is a useful tool for helping the nurse with the coping strategies of the children and favor the inclusion of family, since provides great benefits in their care

A systematic review of game technologies for pediatric patients

[EN] Children in hospital are subjected to multiple negative stimuli that may hinder their development and social interactions. Although game technologies are thought to improve children's experience in hospital, there is a lack of information on how they can be used effectively. This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on the existing approaches in this context to identify gaps for future research. A total of 1305 studies were identified, of which 75 were thoroughly analyzed according to our review protocol. The results show that the most common approach is to design mono-user games with traditional computers or monitor-based video consoles, which serve as a distractor or a motivator for physical rehabilitation for primary school children undergoing fearful procedures such as venipuncture, or those suffering chronic, neurological, or traumatic diseases/injures. We conclude that, on the one hand, game technologies seem to present physical and psychological benefits to pediatric patients, but more research is needed on this. On the other hand, future designers of games for pediatric hospitalization should consider: 1. The development for kindergarten patients and adolescents, 2. Address the psychological impact caused by long-term hospitalization, 3. Use collaboration as an effective game strategy to reduce patient isolation, 4. Have purposes other than distraction, such as socialization, coping with emotions, or fostering physical mobility, 5. Include parents/caregivers and hospital staff in the game activities; and 6. Exploit new technological artifacts such as robots and tangible interactive elements to encourage intrinsic motivation.This work is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Development Regional Fund (EDRF-FEDER) with Project TIN2014-60077-R.El Jurdi, S.; Montaner-Marco, J.; García Sanjuan, F.; Jaén Martínez, FJ.; Nácher-Soler, VE. (2018). A systematic review of game technologies for pediatric patients. Computers in Biology and Medicine. 97:89-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compbiomed.2018.04.019S891129

Designing interactive play experiences for sick children in hospital

For sick children, hospitals provide a challenging environment for the development of a positive sense of self. I believe the opportunity for creative self-expression plays an important role for hospitalised children to develop such as positive sense of self. In response I have designed workshops to support such self-expression around a positive sense of self using Co-Design, Desensitization and Lecoq’s theatre techniques. These workshops centered around two interactive digital games I designed: ‘Doctor Giggles’ and ‘X-Safari’ that aim to reframe and personalise children’s hospital experiences. The workshops were developed in two different hospitals from Spain: Hospital de La Fe (Valencia) and Hospital Sant Joan de Dea (Barcelona). 23 children and 17 family relatives participated in the workshops. The main age of the children was between 7 to 10 years old. The outcomes from the workshops suggest that designing personalised play for sick children by reframing the hospital environment, medical equipment, procedural tasks and family relationships through humour and creativity can support the development of children’s positive sense of self. In order to guide other designers and play therapists in facilitating such workshops, I have derived three design dimensions - bodily representations, bodily auto-topography and bodily creative communication and a set of design tactics. These insights are aimed at contributing to our understanding of how to support sick children in hospital

Gamification Strategies as Socialization Tools in the Context of Paediatric Hospitalization

[ES] En la presente tesis doctoral se aborda el problema de la socialización de los pacientes pediátricos en el contexto de su ingreso hospitalario, estudiando las posibilidades de mejorar este ámbito de la salud del paciente mediante diversas estrategias y herramientas tecnológicas teniendo en cuenta la problemática planteada y las dificultades propias del contexto. En primer lugar, se realizará una evaluación del estado del arte, así como una justificación de la problemática existente, planteando claramente los objetivos e hipótesis del presente trabajo, así como la metodología seguida. A continuación, se presentarán las diferentes herramientas implementadas y evaluadas, analizando los resultados obtenidos y situándolos en su contexto y marco tecnológico. Estas herramientas, que combinan actividades y aplicaciones presenciales, remotas o híbridas, implementan diferentes estrategias para poder valorar cuáles son las más adecuadas o que presentan un mayor impacto en el paciente. Tras esto, se propone un modelo de diseño basado en los resultados obtenidos en estudios anteriores, así como su posible aplicación en diferentes ámbitos, discutiendo el mismo y justificando las decisiones de diseño adoptadas. Finalmente, se establecerán las conclusiones obtenidas tras el análisis de los resultados y se plantearán cuáles son las posibles aplicaciones y trabajos futuros relacionados con el trabajo realizado en el marco de la tesis doctoral.[CA] Aquesta tesi doctoral aborda el problema de la socialització dels pacients pediàtrics durant la seua estada hospitalària, i s'estudien les possibilitats de millorar aquest àmbit de la salut del pacient mitjançant diverses estratègies i eines tecnològiques, considerant la problemàtica plantejada i les dificultats pròpies de l'entorn. En primer lloc, es realitzarà una avaluació de l'estat de l'art, així com una justificació de la problemàtica existent, i es plantejaran clarament els objectius i la hipòtesi del treball, així com la metodologia emprada. Seguidament, es presentaran les diferents eines implementades i avaluades, analitzant els resultats obtinguts i situant-los al seu context i marc tecnològic. Aquestes eines, que combinen activitats i aplicacions presencials, remotes o híbrides, implementen diferents estratègies per a poder valorar quines són les més adients, o les que presenten un major impacte en el pacient. A continuació, es proposa un model de disseny basat en els resultats obtinguts als estudis previs, així com la seua possible aplicació en diferents àmbits, discutint el model i justificant les decisions de disseny adoptades. Finalment, s'establiran les conclusions obtingudes després d'analitzar els resultats i es plantejaran les possibles aplicacions i treballs futurs relacionats amb els continguts desenvolupats durant la tesi doctoral.[EN] In this document, the problems for socialization for pediatric patients in the context of their hospital internment are considered, analyzing the possibilities of improving this aspect of the patient's health through the use of different strategies and technological tools considering the difficulties posed by the environment and the context. In the first place, an evaluation of the state of the literature and a justification of the existing problematic will be presented, clearly stating the objectives and hypothesis of this work, and also the methodology that has been followed. Afterwards, the different tools that have been implemented and evaluated will be described, analyzing the obtained results and placing them in their context and technological frame. These tools, that combine physically placed activities and applications with remote or hybrid ones, implement different strategies in order to be able to analyze which are the most convenient or the ones that show a higher benefit for the patient. In the following section, a design model, which is based on the results obtained in the previous studies, is proposed, with the justification of the design decisions made and a description of different applications and contexts in which the proposed model could be useful. Finally, the conclusions obtained after the analysis of the results will be presented, and a short discussion about possible applications and future related works will be done.Thanks to the Ministry for Education, that have funded my research through grant FPU17/03333Montaner Marco, J. (2023). Gamification Strategies as Socialization Tools in the Context of Paediatric Hospitalization [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/20155