Ancillary Services in Pediatric Departments of USA
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Ancillary Services in Pediatric Departments of USA MOHAMMED ALSABRI, AJITHA YELURU AND RATNA B BASAK From the Department of Pediatrics, Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, One Brookdale Plaza, New York 11212. Correspondence to: Dr Ratna B Basak, Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA. [email protected] It is well known that prolonged hospitalizations and medical procedures have adverse psychological impact on children. Ancillary services in the pediatric departments help in mitigating stress, improve patient satisfaction, reduce procedural time, and improve the quality of life. This can be translated to measurable outcomes such as less doctor’s visits, fewer symptoms, early discharge and fewer medications. Other benefits include conserving staff time and energy, thereby increasing productivity, staff retention and decreasing burnout. As more free-standing children’s hospitals emerge, the ancillary services will gain more recognition and popularity to give the best patient care experience. Keywords: Art, Clowning, Health, Hospital, Music, Pets.
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n the eighteenth century, physician George Armstrong expressed concerns on the psychological impacts of hospitalization in young children and that separation of sick children from their mothers had adverse outcome on the well-being of these children [1]. However, it was not until 1946 that pediatrician Sir James Spence established the first mother and child hospital [2]. In 1986, the American Academy of Pediatrics mandated that any facility with ten or more pediatric beds must actively address the psychological needs of patients, through implementation of appropriate programs [3].
massage therapy, acupuncture, medical clowning and many more. Further, many pediatric units have school teachers to help children catch up with missed homework and earn credits with the work done during hospitalization. In the following sections we will discuss each of the ancillary services in detail to appreciate their roles in a hospitalized child. Child Life Specialist Child life specialists (CLS) are individuals, working in a pediatric hospital setting, who are specialized in child psychology and development. Their goal is to provide emotional and spiritual support, educate and advocate children in a manner appropriate for the development of the child [8]. Along with other team members, they help to build rapport with the patient and the family and help in strengthen the role of parents in a family centered care model [8-10]. The admitted children may be exposed to two kinds of trauma which could impact their welfaretrauma of sickness and the trauma of hospitalization [11]. CLS help in reducing fear and allay anxiety by employing unique strategies tapered to the needs of the child. It may be as simple as giving a box of Lego to a 6year-old to divert his attention during a physical examination or as complicated as to extract history from a sexually abused 5-year-old girl using play therapy. They also form an integral part of pediatric palliative ca
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